A Twisted Clump of Seaweed (and other treasures found at low tide)

Mother-Daughter Book Club at Flintridge Bookstore

2012-01-14T15:45:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, January 29, from 2-4pm, I’ll be at Flintridge Bookstore http://www.flintridgebooks.com/ in La Canada, to participate in the Mother-Daughter Book Club event. Members of book clubs will have the opportunity to meet authors, get their books signed, and generally have a wonderful time. Besides me, the other authors participating are Lisa Yee, Susan Patron (who is a past Newbery winner for The Higher Power of Lucky), Lee Wardlaw, Kathy McCullough, Janet Tashjian, Maile Meloy and Kathleen O’Dell.

The store is located at 1010 Foothill Blvd, La Canada, 91011. For more information, contact Catherine Linka at 818-790-0717.

I hope to see you there!

May B!

2012-01-09T19:20:00.000-08:00

I had the opportunity to interview middle grade author Caroline Starr Rose. Her book, MAY B., comes out January 10, 2012, tomorrow! I’m very excited to be giving away a signed copy of her wonderful book. If you’d like to receive it, please leave a comment and I’ll choose a winner through random.org, and then send it to you. Her book is a Junior Library Guild selection and received a starred review from Kirkus. An amazing way to start off for her debut novel!

Kathryn Fitzmaurice: Caroline, please tell us about your book.

Caroline Starr Rose: MAY B. is a middle grade historical novel-in-verse set on the Kansas frontier. After a failed wheat crop, May’s parents decide to ship her off to a new prairie couple so that she might help them settle and bring in some money for the family. The couple has problems of their own, and suddenly May is abandoned, with no way to contact her family.

May must face the oncoming winter while coming to terms with who she is and what she’s capable of. (sorry about ending with a preposition!)

Kathryn Fitzmaurice: How long did it take to write?

Caroline Starr Rose: I started my research the spring of 2007 and began writing in the fall. Both my boys were in school for the first time, and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to write full time. And then my sons’ principal called me into her office and offered me a job on the spot. One of her teachers had quit abruptly, and her position was in my exact area of certification. Though I had no plans to teach before this meeting, I felt like I was meant for this job and took it immediately.

I spent most of my time revising during the school years and writing over the summer. My first draft was finished fall 2008.

Kathryn Fitzmaurice: Did you sell your book with the help of an agent? Do you think writers today need an agent?

Caroline Starr Rose: Yes to both questions. For ten years I submitted manuscripts (seven picture books and four novels) directly to editors and collected hundreds of rejections. It was only after I got serious about finding an agent in the fall of 2009 that things started to happen. Within four months, my agent sold my very non-commercial, non-flashy literary historical at auction.

While it is possible to sell without an agent, I can’t imagine doing so. It took me a long time to come to the realization that an agent was necessary (for me, at least) in starting and maintaining a career. Those ten years of submitting on my own weren’t wasted. I learned how to write, develop my craft, and stick it out.

Kathryn Fitzmaurice: How do you write? Do you have a routine?

Caroline Starr Rose: Sometimes yes. I’m not one who works well with a word count goal, especially while in verse novel or picture book mode. I remember last summer being stuck on roughly twenty words for several weeks. Twenty words! It was a challenge I finally pushed through, but I think if I had cracked the word-count whip, I would have been very discouraged.

More than anything, I force myself to sit with a project, even when the ideas and direction aren’t there. I work best with general monthly goals. Of course, now that I have editorial deadlines, I make sure to work on other projects when my editor has my work, so that does keep me moving forward.

Kathryn Fitzmaurice: If you could give your book to just one person to read, who would that person be?

Caroline Starr Rose: First I need to explain May’s deepest desire is to someday be a teacher. While she is bright and studious, she is also struggles with dyslexia, a learning disability that wouldn’t have been known at the time. This mysterious inability to process information as her classmates do has defined her in school, at home, in the community, and in her own mind.

If I could give this book to just one person, it would be to former student of mine. I had her as a sixth grader, and unfortunately it took me several months to realize her reading ability was well below her peers’ (this was in a group of children in which some were reading at third and fourth grade levels). She rarely turned in work and was often belligerent. What amazed me, though, was her willingness to stand in front of the class after writing workshops and read her very simple stories.

By the time I realized the extent of her struggle, all the slots for a special reading elective had been filled.

I wish I could say I created some marvelous program for her myself. I’m embarrassed to admit I remember doing nothing extra for this child who so desperately needed some sort of intervention. That school year was the first in a new school, and we were all learning the ropes. I had an especially transient population that year -- lost and gained between 30 - 40 students. There was only so much I could do. At the same time, I have woken up in the middle of the night thinking of this girl and others whose needs I didn’t fully meet during my teaching years.

Kathryn Fitzmaurice: What is your most favorite line in your book?

Caroline Starr Rose: Here are two stanzas that make me so proud of May.

I go slowly,
invite the words to find
a home
between
each breath.

No one is here
to listen,
or laugh.
I’m not whispering,
not mumbling,
I own this poem.

Kathryn Fitzmaurice: What is your most favorite Newbery or National Book Award book?

Caroline Starr Rose: So many to choose from! If I were to pick something current, I’d go with OUT OF THE DUST or HOLES. Childhood picks would include MRS. FRISBY AND THE RATS OF NIMH, THE HIGH KING (I went through a phase where a friend and I would create intricate maps of Prydain and then act out Alexander’s stories), GINGER PYE, or THE VOYAGES OF DOCTOR DOLITTLE.

Kathryn Fitzmaurice: What are you working on now?

I’ve just finished edits with my agent on a middle-grade contemporary about a girls’ club (inspired by my mother’s girlhood) and a picture book about the Louisiana wetlands.

Kathryn Fitzmaurice: List three things you can’t live without.

Indelible Grace CDs or NPR while driving (sorry, that’s two!)
peanut butter
a book

Thank you very much for letting me interview you. Here is a link to your website so anyone who wants to may purchase your book, or get in touch with you may do so. http://www.carolinestarrrose.com/

Films Rights sold to Dyson Thomas Films, LLC

2011-12-11T17:08:00.000-08:00

I’m thrilled to announce that my newest middle grade novel, due out in February, 2012, from Viking, has recently had the film rights sold to Dyson Thomas Films, LLC, a partnership between Dyson Lovell and Thomas Parsekian. Here’s the announcement which will go into Publisher’s Marketplace next week:

"Kathryn Fitzmaurice's A DIAMOND IN THE DESERT, inspired by the true story of a Japanese-American boy who, while interned at a camp during WWII, joins the camp's baseball team, which goes on to beat the state champions, to Dyson Lovell and Thomas Parsekian at Dyson Thomas Films, LLC by Brandy Rivers at Magnet Management on behalf of Jennifer Rofe at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency."

Thank you to Paul Angle (who read the story before it was published and offered immeasurable assistance) for introducing the story to Thomas Parsekian.

Thank you also to film agent Brandy Rivers at Magnet Management and my incredible literary agent, Jennifer Rofe.

The above photo is of Tetsuo Furukawa at age thirteen, taken after baseball practice in Gila River. He sent this, and many other photos, to me while I was writing the book.

Introducing: A DIAMOND IN THE DESERT

2011-10-10T12:05:00.000-07:00

I’m delighted to announce that on February 16, 2012, my second middle grade novel, entitled, A DIAMOND IN THE DESERT, will be available from Viking. The idea for this book came after visiting my oldest son’s middle school National History Day competition. One of the students there had built a model of the Zenimura baseball field as it stood outside Gila River, a Japanese internment camp. Her grandfather had played outfield for the team. I asked her if I could interview him. I thought I would write a short magazine article about him, but after the interview, I immediately contacted the other two players who were still alive so I could interview them, too. This began a two year process in which I learned everything I could about the baseball team and Gila River. I’ll admit, I never thought I’d write a story about baseball or Gila River. I didn’t even know the baseball team had existed until the day I saw the model of the field.

But here’s the thing. After listening to the men, and hearing what they went through, I wrote the story because, against all odds, in a time of turmoil in our nation, this team of young boys was able to come together and beat the Tucson High School state champs in a nail-biting extra innings game that was so incredibly remarkable, it gave a sense of hope to the other residents of the camp. It gave a sense of what is possible, if we try.

Because am not Japanese, I was somewhat apprehensive to write the story. So before I wrote even one word, I spent many months in the Pacific Archives building of the Laguna Niguel branch. I read through all three and a half years of the newspaper on microfiche. I interviewed the men over a period of two years. After each draft of the story, I sent it to the pitcher so he could read it to make sure I got it right. And then, I asked my son’s former baseball coach to read the book, so he could check my baseball facts, and the baseball scenes of each game. I am so very grateful for the support and help I received while writing this book.

Moreover, I would say A DIAMOND IN THE DESERT is a story of hope and courage which happens to take place in an internment camp. It’s a story that helped me to see the good in people, and how with faith and determination, we can achieve what we want. It’s also a story about a dog, named Lefty (after Lefty O’Doul) who after he was given away (because the camp didn’t take dogs) found his way home and waited there for his owners to come back.

I hope you will enjoy the book. I am so happy to be able to share it with you.

What it sometimes takes to begin a new book...

2011-08-31T13:15:00.000-07:00

Here’s the thing about starting a new book. For me, it typically takes almost a year to write. And then, it takes another very long unspecified amount of time to revise. So the concept/topic/idea better be something I love, something I look forward to sitting down and writing, at least most days. I’ve been writing full time now since September, 2006. I’ve learned that unless I’m at my desk most days of the week, the book doesn’t get written.
For this very reason I’m constantly changing my home office. I have to love (L.O.V.E.) this room I sit in for all hours of the day. I have to want to spend time in it.
So I buy a new desk every couple of years (current one: stainless steel with wheels), or paint the walls, or put up wallpaper (my new favorite thing) or new art (Andy Davis or Wolfgang Bloch being my favorite artists, both are from southern California). I change the fabric on my chair, and place a different plant on the corner of my desk every few weeks. (Lately, I’m in to cactus). A couple of months ago, I had my contractor replace the old French doors. Now they’re one continuous pane of clear glass with modern silver handles. He also suspended an amazing Jonathan Adler contemporary chandelier to hang over the desk, and installed wood flooring, a white oak plank seven inches wide.
All this so I can sit and be inspired.
So when I turn my computer on each morning, and my dog, Holly, settles in her bed next to my desk, I can, hopefully, find the words that would have made my grandmother proud.

University of California, Irvine. Novel Writing 101

2011-07-04T15:19:00.000-07:00

For anyone who wants to learn the fundamentals of writing a novel, there is Louella Nelson, writing professor at University of California, Irvine. She writes romance novels, (my favorite being MAIL ORDER MATE, Harlequin American Romance, 1987) and sets up her writing class in a way which assists students by asking them to bring in five pages each week for peer review. She also is a wealth of information on character arcs, plot, dialogue, etc. I took her class five years ago, before my first middle grade novel was published. I learned about setting up a scene, how to draw a reader in and make them want to turn the page.

I highly recommend her class. Below is the information from the flyer, which, for some reason, would not upload here:

About Your Instructor
A former president of OCC/RWA, Louella Nelson is the author of five novels,
short stories, a novella, as well as awardwinning trade magazine editorial features, articles, and technical reports. She has conducted successful author promotions and has been a guest on radio and television talk shows. The founder of Louella Nelson’s Writing Workshops and Lou Nelson
Communications, she has lead writing retreats and writing organizations and has taught writing courses since 1992. Many of her students are agented, published, and awardwinners.
Lou is the 2010 recipient of the UC Irvine Extension Distinguished Instructor Award.
Phone: 9499163310
Email: lounelson@cox.net

Course dates for Beginning Your Novel or Short Story
September 22-Dec 8 (no class on Veteran’s Day and Thanksgiving)
UCI Extension registration opens August 6, 2011
Phone: 9498245414
Online registration: www.Unex.uci.edu

2011-06-09T13:12:00.000-07:00

Caroline Starr Rose has a middle grade novel coming out early 2012, entitled MAY B. She had a remarkable journey in getting her book published. The first publisher who bought her manuscript closed, which, I'm sure, was heartbreaking. But she found another publisher, and we are extremely happy her book will be out in the world very soon. I'll be posting an interview of Caroline in January. In the meantime, you can read more about her here:

http://carolinebyline.blogspot.com/

She's giving away a copy of the paperback, The Year the Swallows Came Early, in case you missed getting one from me! And if you're wondering about the sketch I posted, it was the first draft of the paperback cover. Even in pencil, I absolutely adore it!

2011-05-23T08:07:00.000-07:00

I’m delighted to say that on May 24, the paperback edition of The Year the Swallows Came Early will be out on Amazon. You’ll find it in independent and other bookstores after June 1. I’m especially excited about the paperback because it has sixteen pages of EXTRA’s in the back.
There’s a Reader’s Theater, taken from one of the chapters, which has lines for six readers/students to perform. In addition, you’ll find information about the swallows and their annual migration, as well as discussion questions, a recipe for chocolate covered strawberries, and an interview with me. (My favorite question is the one about my dog, Holly.)

There’s also the new paperback cover, drawn by Erwin Madrid, which I am so extremely pleased with.

I’m giving away five signed copies of the paperback. If you’d like one, please leave a comment, along with your address, and I’ll get it out to you right away.

Copy Edits, A DIAMOND IN THE DESERT

2011-04-27T08:57:00.000-07:00

I recently completed the copy edits for my newest middle grade novel, A DIAMOND IN THE DESERT, which is due out February, 2012, from Viking. It's an historical fiction story about a baseball team who overcomes all odds and beats the state champions while interned at Gila River, a Japanese internment camp.

To write this book, I spent two years interviewing the pitcher of the team, who is the main character in my book. I also read three and half years of newspaper articles, all on microfiche, at the Pacific Archives building in Laguna Niguel, California.

I then created a timeline, interweaving what was happening at Gila River, in baseball from 1942-1945, and the war. I taped this timeline to the wall in my office, along with a map of Gila River, and photos of the team. Each day, as I sat down to write, I studied the photos and the map. I looked at the timeline, doing my best to be there, and to understand what it must have been like.

To this day, I can only imagine how it must have felt to have been set aside on an Indian reservation in the middle of the desert in one's own country. Still, I am grateful to the gentlemen who allowed me to interview them. I am very happy to have stumbled across this story five years ago, at a middle school history day competition, where I met the student who had recreated a model of the Zenimura baseball field.

"You built that?" I asked her. I was truly amazed.

"Yes," she told me, smiling.

"Do you think it would be possible for me to interview your grandfather?" I asked.

She nodded, then wrote down his number.

Never in a million years would I have thought there'd be such an amazing story behind that baseball field.

St. Joseph's Day

2011-03-07T16:36:00.000-08:00

The swallows are on their way here. They arrive each year to the area around the San Juan Capistrano Mission on March 19, which is St. Joseph’s Day. Before their arrival, the scout comes to look around. Then he flies back and guides the flock here. In thirty days, they’ll fly approximately 7500 miles from Goya, Argentina, where they stay for the winter.

In the old days, there were hundreds of swallows that came to the mission. Now, the construction and building of San Juan Capistrano, which has led to less food, has driven them out to the surrounding areas. Last year, I found about fifty of them nesting under a cement canal bridge, the rainwater running toward the Pacific Ocean beneath them. I was riding my one speed Schwinn (with wicker basket on the handle bars) from Doheny Beach on that trail that runs alongside the canals when I heard them.

People say the swallows return to the same spot each year. I’ll give them a week to get settled, and then I’ll ride by again so I can see them.

There’s something about the fact that they always return. I can count on them being here. Same as before.

Her rejection letter

2011-02-02T15:05:00.000-08:00

I found this letter among my grandmother's unpublished manuscripts. It's a rejection letter from her agent, Phyllis Westberg. My grandmother had written a short story, entitled, "Onions in the Hash," which was attached to the letter. Ms. Westberg sent the story to seven different magazines, hoping they might want to publish it. Each one, however, politely declined.

This is the road most writers walk. Typically, there are many rejections before publication. I imagine she had a conversation with her agent about revising the story, or possibly writing another one all together.

Stories are like that. Sometimes they sweep us off our feet with their honesty and utter perfection. Other times they sit in a drawer with a rejection letter attached to them, waiting for the writer to pull them out again.

The Newbery Honors and Medal for 2011

2011-01-10T14:29:00.000-08:00

I went to bed last night knowing that someone's life will change today. Some author who has written a distinguished novel. Undoubtedly it will be something that tells the truth, or makes us understand ourselves better, or see things in a way we haven't before.

This morning, the ALA awards were given. When they announced the John Newbery medal, I was so excited for the winner and those who received honor medals. What an amazing accomplishment. I look forward to reading the following books:

2011 John Newbery Medal Award Winner:
Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool Delacorte/Random House, 2010ISBN 978-0385738835
Abilene Tucker feels abandoned. Her father has put her on a train, sending her off to live with an old friend for the summer while he works a railroad job. Armed only with a few possessions and her list of universals, Abilene jumps off the train in Manifest, Kansas, aiming to learn about the boy her father once was.
Having heard stories about Manifest, Abilene is disappointed to find that it’s just a dried-up, worn-out old town. But her disappointment quickly turns to excitement when she discovers a hidden cigar box full of mementos, including some old letters that mention a spy known as the Rattler. These mysterious letters send Abilene and her new friends, Lettie and Ruthanne, on an honest-to-goodness spy hunt, even though they are warned to “Leave Well Enough Alone.”
Abilene throws all caution aside when she heads down the mysterious Path to Perdition to pay a debt to the reclusive Miss Sadie, a diviner who only tells stories from the past. It seems that Manifest’s history is full of colorful and shadowy characters—and long-held secrets. The more Abilene hears, the more determined she is to learn just what role her father played in that history. And as Manifest’s secrets are laid bare one by one, Abilene begins to weave her own story into the fabric of the town.

Honor Medal:
Dark Emporer and Other Poems of the Night by Joyce Sidman illustrated by Rick Allen Houghton Mifflin, 2010ISBN 978-0547152288
Welcome to the night, where mice stir and furry moths flutter. Where snails spiral into shells as orb spiders circle in silk. Where the roots of oak trees recover and repair from their time in the light. Where the porcupette eats delicacies—raspberry leaves!—and coos and sings.Come out to the cool, night wood, and buzz and hoot and howl—but do beware of the great horned owl—for it’s wild and it’s windy way out in the woods!

Honor Medal:
Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus Amulet/Abrams Books, 2010ISBN 978-0810989818
In 1841, a Japanese fishing vessel sinks. Its crew is forced to swim to a small, unknown island, where they are rescued by a passing American ship. Japan’s borders remain closed to all Western nations, so the crew sets off to America, learning English on the way.
Manjiro, a fourteen-year-old boy, is curious and eager to learn everything he can about this new culture. Eventually the captain adopts Manjiro and takes him to his home in New England. The boy lives for some time in New England, and then heads to San Francisco to pan for gold. After many years, he makes it back to Japan, only to be imprisoned as an outsider. With his hard-won knowledge of the West, Manjiro is in a unique position to persuade the shogun to ease open the boundaries around Japan; he may even achieve his unlikely dream of becoming a samurai.

Honor Medal:
One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia Amistad/HarperCollins, 2010ISBN 978-0060760885
Eleven-year-old Delphine has it together. Even though her mother, Cecile, abandoned her and her younger sisters, Vonetta and Fern, seven years ago. Even though her father and Big Ma will send them from Brooklyn to Oakland, California, to stay with Cecile for the summer. And even though Delphine will have to take care of her sisters, as usual, and learn the truth about the missing pieces of the past.
When the girls arrive in Oakland in the summer of 1968, Cecile wants nothing to do with them. She makes them eat Chinese takeout dinners, forbids them to enter her kitchen, and never explains the strange visitors with Afros and black berets who knock on her door. Rather than spend time with them, Cecile sends Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern to a summer camp sponsored by a revolutionary group, the Black Panthers, where the girls get a radical new education.
Set during one of the most tumultuous years in recent American history, one crazy summer is the heartbreaking, funny tale of three girls in search of the mother who abandoned them—an unforgettable story told by a distinguished author of books for children and teens, Rita Williams-Garcia.

Honor Medal:
Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. HolmRandom House, 2010ISBN 978-0375836886
Inspired by family stories, two-time Newbery Honor winner and New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Holm beautifully blends family lore with America's past in this charming gem of a novel, rich in historical detail, humor, and the unique flavors of Key West.Life isn't like the movies, and eleven-year-old Turtle is no Shirley Temple. She's smart and tough and has seen enough of the world not to expect a Hollywood ending. After all, it's 1935, and jobs and money and sometimes even dreams are scarce. So when Turtle's mama gets a job housekeeping for a lady who doesn't like kids, Turtle says goodbye without a tear and heads off to Key West, Florida, to stay with relatives she's never met.Florida's like nothing Turtle has ever seen. It's hot and strange, full of wild green peeping out between houses, ragtag boy cousins, and secret treasure. Before she knows what's happened, Turtle finds herself coming out of the shell she has spent her life building, and as she does, her world opens up in the most unexpected ways.

Defining Moment...Reverb10

2010-12-28T21:30:00.000-08:00

It’s finally here. December 28, the day my prompt on Reverb10 airs. If you’ve been following the prompts you know that each one has allowed us to look back and reflect, but also to look forward with hope and promise to the next year.

So here is my prompt:

Defining moment. Describe a defining moment or series of events that has affected your life this year.

And here is my answer: This year’s defining moment was when my oldest son received an appointment to the United States Naval Academy on Christmas Eve. I was overjoyed for him but at the same time I know it means he is leaving our home…for a very long time. How is it that he is all grown up? Just yesterday I took him to his first day of Kindergarten (that's his "first day of school" photo above). Where did all the time go?

I cleaned out my sons’(I have two teenage boys) game room last week. I stacked plastic boxes of Legos and GI Joes and X-box games and Playstation controllers. I placed them all in neat rows, then stood back. And for a moment, I wished that Lego police station/airport/city center was still spread across the floor, taking up the whole space so that it was hard to take more than three steps into the room. I wished it because it would mean my son was nine again. And I would have eight more years to spend with him.

Now, every night he walks in the door after practice is a gift. I find myself taking photos of him for no reason. At his last home game I took over 400 photos because I knew I would never see him play water polo again.

But there he is, six feet two, seventeen, going off to become who he will be, with his hopes and his dreams and his eagerness to serve, leaving us here to walk by his room and wait for his phone calls.

Letting go is hard, but necessary. It is something that causes me to hold my hand over my heart, as if shielding it from the pain.

I think I will have to get another dog.

Reverb 10...reflections on 2010

2010-12-26T10:13:00.000-08:00

My editor at HarperCollins, Molly O'Neill, recently told me about three women who started an annual online event which will help us in reflecting on the past year. Their website is here:

http://www.reverb10.com/

And this is how they describe the event: Reverb 10 is an annual event and online initiative to reflect on your year and manifest what’s next. Use the end of your year as an opportunity to reflect on what's happened, and to send out reverberations for the year ahead. With Reverb 10 - and the 31 prompts our authors have created for you. You can commit and start at any time during December 2010. And you may respond to the prompts in any way you wish - this project is designed for you to discover what needs discovering, however's best for you.

I was lucky enough to have a prompt which was chosen and will be airing December 29, Wednesday. And while I'm not supposed to tell what it is until that day, I will give you a smallish hint: it's about destiny and what defines our lives.

...which is probably no surprise to you if you've been following my blog.

I hope you'll respond on twitter or facebook, or your own blog. I'll be giving away a few copies of my book, The Year the Swallows Came Early, to those who do answer. I wish I could send everyone a copy because I appreciate the time and thought that goes into answering these prompts. I've been participating on twitter this month, and it's through these prompts that I've been able to see how grateful I am for this past (very fast) year in my life.

California Readers 2011 Collection

2010-12-01T08:34:00.000-08:00

The California Readers Collection has just posted their 2011 book lists. I’m thrilled to learn that THE YEAR THE SWALLOWS CAME EARLY has been selected for both the elementary school and the middle school list. Because each list has only 100 titles, I am extremely honored. The criteria for selection are as follows:

Must be written by a California author or illustrated by a California artist.
Meet the criteria of excellent literature.
Provide a balanced collection from picture books to history.
Reflect the entire spectrum of curriculum areas in a balanced collection.
Focus on the diversity of California population.
Illuminate the various California geographical areas.
Raise awareness about issues important to California.

For those of you who would like to see the other titles, here’s the link:
http://www.californiareaders.org/collections/index.htm

Destiny

2010-11-01T17:37:00.000-07:00

I’ve been thinking a lot about destiny lately. How much power do we have over our lives? Are they predetermined, or can we change things?

For example, there’s that latest AT&T commercial. You know, the one where the ballerina drops her phone while it’s downloading something from the web, and she bends down to pick it up just as someone who has the power to influence her career passes—which is when the screen goes split and we see how her life is different because her phone downloaded sooner with AT&T so, in turn, she has the opportunity to audition, landing the staring ballerina role of the dance rather than being the waitress who serves the group of dancers at the table.

Or that movie, The Peculiar Case of Benjamin Button, where, again, it's a ballerina, only she gets hit by a taxi all because some woman she doesn't even know turns back to get her umbrella (or maybe it’s a package), which is when the woman answers her phone, which causes her to get into that same taxi five minutes later than she would have, which causes the taxi to hit the ballerina, who would not have been anywhere near the street when the taxi should have passed her building.

How many of these things are predetermined? It makes me wonder.

Paperback Cover!

2010-09-23T09:01:00.000-07:00

Look what Molly O'Neill, my editor at HarperCollins, sent me. It's the paperback cover for The Year the Swallows Came Early, which is due out summer of 2011.

I know, it's perfect. We've all been walking around saying how much we like it at my house. I've been carrying a copy of it with me to show friends. I set it as my screen saver on my phone. Then I changed my profile picture on facebook to this cover. Something about it is so charming, the way she's looking up at those swallows, her smile, her hair fanning out behind her. You can tell she's happy.

The amazing illustrator is Erwin Madrid. You can visit his website here:

http://erwinmadrid.com/

He's done quite a few projects besides just book covers. In fact, I feel lucky to have him as the illustrator he's done so many wonderful projects.

Working on a new book.

2010-08-22T14:45:00.001-07:00

I have been working on revising a new book, which is why I have not posted here in so long. The book is entitled A DIAMOND IN THE DESERT, about a twelve year old Japanese American boy who plays baseball while interned in Gila River. It takes place in 1942. To write this book, I spent two years reading every newspaper that was printed at the camp at the National Archives building (where FYI, you can't take in even a water bottle for fear of ruining original documents). I also interviewed three of the players on the team, who are still alive and are in their 80's now. They remember their time playing baseball at the internment camp like it was just yesterday.

My wonderful editor at Viking sent a five page single spaced letter suggesting changes. At first, this was a bit overwhelming, but as I read through them, I was delighted to see how each suggestion made the story so much better than it was originally. And now that I'm nearly finished with the changes, I'm anxious to see how they'll put the book together, and how the cover will look. I still have to get through the copy editor, but I like that part of making a book. I like how she'll double check all my facts.

The book is due out spring of 2012, I believe right about when baseball season starts. I hope you'll look for it then.

Looking forward to the annual SCBWI conference

2010-07-05T08:07:00.000-07:00

About this time of year, I find that many writers will ask me if I'm planning to attend the annual SCBWI conference in Los Angeles. It's expensive, they say. It takes all day to get there if you're coming from another part of the country. By the time the fourth day rolls around, people are typically pretty exhausted.

I tell them I know. I go each year. I go because as a writer, our work is usually completed alone in a room. It is seen by a select few, our critique groups, our agents, and if we're lucky, our editors. Going to the conference is a way to connect with other writers, to learn what's going on in the writing world, to encourage those who have yet to begin, and to tell those who have created books so moving to us, we are not sure we would've started writing without having read their work.

In case you haven't registered, here's the link: http://www.scbwi.org/

I hope to see you there.

Bank Street Best Books

2010-05-17T13:54:00.000-07:00

I'm delighted to learn that The Year the Swallows Came Early has made the Bank Street Best Books list. Here's the link:

http://www.bankstreet.edu/bookcom/

Every year, they publish a list of the best 600 children's books, from picture books to young adult. I am feeling very lucky to be included with the other titles. It's something I never would've expected.

Watcha Reading Now?

2010-05-15T10:20:00.000-07:00

This month on Watcha Reading Now?, they are focusing on books about family and how unique each person's is. Kerry O'Malley, one of the contributors on WRN, interviewed me. She thought The Year the Swallows Came Early should be included in the line up, since it's about how family shapes us. Here's the link to their website:

http://www.whatchareadingnow.com/

There are some wonderful books you can read about there, if you're looking for books about family.

The thing about family, to me, is that they are, all wrapped up together, and in no particular order, the people who bring me comfort, completely annoy me, make me laugh, make me cry, help me to be a better person, turn me into my worst nightmare, and bring me so much joy that I sometimes have to hold my breath and issue up a prayer of thanks right on the spot. Families are complicated, and yet, they stand behind us as we step out and try to be who we want to.

Book Club

2010-04-29T09:11:00.000-07:00

I came across this today:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/holly-robinson/why-writers-need-book-clu_b_553772.html

A blog post by author Holly Robinson about book clubs. My favorite paragraph from her post is:

In the end, meeting with people who have actually read your book is mostly like winning the lottery: I have never felt so lucky....Authors spend hours each day writing, without knowing if anything we put on the page will ever be read. Book groups allow us to learn what moved our readers (or didn't). They inspire us, giving us hope that writing is a craft worth pursuing.

I couldn't agree more. Just last Friday I was invited to a book club of a group of 5th grade girls who had read my book. You can see their photo above, though two of them came just after I took the photo. They wanted to know things like how I came up with the names of the characters, and why did I include the swallows, and why was Marisol so bossy. I took a poll. "Who would be friends with Marisol?" I asked them. They were fifth grade girls after all, a year younger than Marisol was. Each girl raised her hand.

This is exactly what Ms. Robinson was talking about in her post. I'd tried to write Marisol a certain way, but one never knows if it had really worked.

Ms. Robinson wrote, Book Clubs allow us to learn what moved our readers.

Each girl raised her hand. Marisol was indeed bossy but she was a good friend who helped the main character, Eleanor, achieve her dream. And every girl in that book club wanted to be friends with her.

I looked at their faces, their hands in the air, and it almost made my eyes go watery.

California Readers April Author Interviews

2010-04-07T10:14:00.000-07:00

I'm very happy to be one of the featured author interviews for the month of April on the California Readers website. The other featured authors are Eleanor Aspin, Susan Casey, Lynn Kelley, Susan Patron, Jerry Stanley, and Roxanne Williams. Here's the link in case you want to read any of them:

http://www.californiareaders.org/interviews/index.php

Thank you to Bonnie O'Brian for posting these!

AAUW Literary Luncheon

2010-03-17T16:56:00.000-07:00

Just this last Saturday, I attended the annual Laguna Beach AAUW Literary Luncheon. In the photo above are Kim Salter, (left), and Veronica Nice of the American Association of University Women-Laguna Beach standing with authors Anne Cherian, Sarah Shun-Lien Bynum, myself, and Nina Revoyr.

We all had 12 minutes to speak to the crowd after a very lovely lunch. Sarah was the funny one. Anne was very Berkeley-ish. Nina talked of the untold personal histories in California, which was where she found her latest story, and I spoke about what I would say to grandmother if she was still alive.

Because sometimes when I'm writing, I wonder what it would be like to ask her what she thinks about the name of my new main character. Or why she chose the name Jeff for hers in Chrysalis of Death. Was it because of Jeff, my Aunt's son who lives in Australia? Or did she just like the name? And when she used the name Ann in one of her short stories, was that because it was my mother's name? And what about the personal growth the main character makes in her second book? Was that what she wanted for herself, but couldn't quite reach?

In so many places in her writing, I see parts of her real life. They are like left-over fragments of her, like the petals of a flower that have fallen on the sidewalk.

FOCAL event

2010-02-24T08:59:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday, I had the wonderful opportunity to be a guest of FOCAL, (friends of children and literature) at the Central Los Angeles library branch, which is right downtown in the middle of all the big buildings. Librarians Madeline Bryant and Mara Alpert were my hostesses, as well as Caroline Gill, who is the president of FOCAL. She's also the librarian of a large middle school. I was honored to have been asked to come and present the reader's theater from my middle grade novel, The Year the Swallows Came Early. We had a lot of kids who wanted to read a part, but the best thing was that a third grade boy named Francisco read the part of Frankie, who is one of the characters in my book and whose real name is Francisco. He did a perfect job, having the most lines to read, since that particular chapter is more about him than my main character. When I signed a copy of my book for him, I wrote that we couldn't have found a better person to read the part, and, of course, he agreed.

Upcoming event at the Los Angeles Central Library

2010-02-17T10:39:00.000-08:00

I am especially excited to have been asked by FOCAL, (Friends of Children and Literature) to come to the Los Angeles Central Library on February 21, 2010, from 2-3pm to present the reader's theater from a chapter of my book, The Year the Swallows Came Early. The event is free to the public, and will take place in the beautiful children's library, which I've talked about before on my blog. Here's the address of the library: 630 West Fifth Street, Los Angeles.I'll be taking six children from the audience who would like to participate and read a part from their script. I hope to see you there.

Scholastic's Instructor Magazine Best Books of 2009

2010-01-23T16:25:00.000-08:00

I used to get this publication when I was a teacher. So you can imagine how thrilled I am to have the editors at Scholastic's Instructor Magazine choose The Year the Swallows Came Early as one of their favorite middle grade novels for 2009. Here's the link:

http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3753171

Mostly, (and in keeping with a When You Reach Me state of mind) I keep wondering what I would have thought of the book as my old teacher self, looking through the magazine as I always did back then. I hope I would have recognized it somehow as my own, maybe because of the title, or the description of what happens in the book. I wonder if your old self can see glimpses of who you might become when confronted with something that might feel familiar, if it's possible to see a trace of something that would make you stop and think.

It might be kind of like reading a line from my book, and thinking, that, that, is exactly what I was trying to write, but she beat me to it.

Upcoming event at the Los Angeles Central Library

2010-01-22T09:30:00.000-08:00

I am especially excited to have been asked by FOCAL, (Friends of Children and Literature) to come to the Los Angeles Central Library on February 21, 2010, from 2-3pm to present the reader's theater from a chapter of my book, The Year the Swallows Came Early. The event is free to the public, and will take place in the beautiful children's library, which I've talked about before on my blog.

Here's the address of the library: 630 West Fifth Street, Los Angeles.

I'll be taking six children from the audience who would like to participate and read a part from their script. I hope to see you there.

Denver Public Library

2010-01-11T09:14:00.000-08:00

When I was a teacher, my favorite thing to do was read aloud a book to my class. I always had great parents who would donate class sets of books. For example, one parent gave me 30 copies of Island of the Blue Dolphins. Another gave me 30 of EACH of the Little House books. My students and I were so grateful for their generosity. We'd read them together, and then we always held a class vote on which book was our favorite of the year. One year it was Al Capone Does my Shirts. One year it was The Tale of Despereaux.

I'm delighted to see The Year the Swallows Came Early in some of these mock trials around the country. I can imagine the conversations the students are having, what they liked best about the book, what they didn't like, and why.

The Denver Public Library, among others, has put Swallows on their list of books to vote on. Here's the link:

http://kids.denverlibrary.org/fun/DPLmockawards.html

Thank you to all of the teachers and librarians who have emailed me these last two months to tell me they're reading the book in their own mock trials. I am thrilled the book is being included with so many outstanding books. It means the world to me.

Bookpage's ten Best Books for 2009

2009-12-09T08:28:00.000-08:00

I'm delighted to learn that The Year the Swallows Came Early has been selected by Bookpage as one of their ten Best Books (middle grade novels) for 2009. Here's the link:

http://bookpage.wordpress.com/2009/12/08/best-books-of-2009-childrens-chapter-books/

What's also very nice is that Ann Martin's Everything for a Dog is on that list. In case you don't know, Ann Martin graciously read Swallows before it went to print, and then gave us a quote for the book, which is now on the back cover. Even before she did this, though, I was a big Ann Martin fan. My favorite of her's being A Corner of the Universe.

How did she think up, in what is my opinion, such a perfect title? It's right up there with The Deep End of he Ocean.

Perfect.

Concordia writing class

2009-12-02T09:19:00.000-08:00

I had the wonderful opportunity to speak to Thea Gavin's 300 level writing class last night at Concordia University. We mostly discussed revising, which I feel is one of the most important parts of the writing process. I brought along the original manuscript of The Year the Swallows Came Early, and showed them, via PowerPoint, how it went from a first draft to a seventh draft, with multiple rewrites stemming from suggestions from my agent, Jen Rofe (a five page single spaced email), my critique group, and my then editor, Brenda Bowen (a three page single spaced letter). And of course, there were those copy editor suggestions, which I was most thankful for.

I showed them how, on one page alone, there could 6-10 sticky notes from the copy editor, and then another 3-4 from the editor. But that the goal of each suggestion, and then each revision was to make the story the best it could possibly be. And to keep working until your work is what you never would have imagined when you started out.

As a past teacher, I enjoy meeting with students, especially writing students. I looked out at all of them at the end of the talk, feeling excited and hopeful for what they would write someday, for the stories that only they could tell.

I was once one of them. I think most writers know they're writers from very early on, and if they work hard, anything is possible.

My cousin's wife the romance writer

2009-11-28T13:33:00.000-08:00

My son and I recently returned from a trip to the east coast where we looked at colleges for him. While there, we stayed with my great uncle Hugh, who is now in his 90's. At dinner one night, my cousin Hugh, who is uncle Hugh's son, told me his wife was writing a book! I looked over to her and she smiled and we began a lengthy conversation about her manuscript, and copy editors, which she currently is, and deadlines.

Learning that she was also a writer was very exciting news to me for many reasons. First, she is a Robinson by marriage, just like my grandmother, Eleanor Robinson, was. Second, she writes in the romance genre, which is completely different than what I write, (middle grade fiction) or than what my grandmother wrote, (science fiction) Third, it's wonderful to see such a wide variety of writing, and it made me think that just maybe, this sort of thing runs in our family.

She gave me several pages of her work-in-progress romance novel, which I read on the plane ride home. It was quite good. Her character names are very romance-ish; Brad and Cecily. She writes things like, ladies in shimmering silks, and subdued dinner jackets, and Brad headed over to the mahogany bar for another scotch.

Then there's this line: Cecily hiccuped with the finality of a girl who had given up on attempting to follow the conversation. Can't you just see her standing there in her beaded gown with her cocktail? Those are the kind of lines that are hardest to write, ones that tell us so much about the character we feel like we know them.

Classroom Book of the Week

2009-11-18T08:35:00.000-08:00

Kate Narita, teacher, author, and curriculum guide writer, has chosen The Year he Swallows Came Early as her classroom book of the week. As a past teacher, I know it takes a lot of work to whomp up a unit for a literature selection. So I appreciate the time she took to read the book and write her unit. She uses the Multiple Intelligences guide. Here's the link to her interview of me:

http://katenarita.blogspot.com/2009/11/interview-with-year-swallows-came-early.html

And here's the link to her unit:

http://katenarita.blogspot.com/2009/11/year-swallows-came-early.html

Thank you, Kate!

Here's why I love independent bookstores...

2009-11-08T19:49:00.001-08:00

Laguna Beach Books is one of those charming bookstores that has a dog who lays around on wide planked wood floors that look like they were once in some upstate Napa Valley winery, or maybe a barn in New York. They have an ocean view if you stand on the sidewalk in front and look across Pacific Coast Highway. There's a big picture window in front that they decorate. And this weekend, they had my book, The Year the Swallows Came Early, with its own shelf talker. Here's a picture of it.

It means a lot to me that the staff chose to put this up. It feels sort of like when you hear that someone said something really nice about you, and they didn't expect it to get back to you, but it did.

Booklist Top Ten First Novels for Youth

2009-10-17T12:53:00.000-07:00

I'm very excited and honored to learn that The Year the Swallows Came Early has been chosen by Booklist as one of the Top Ten First Novels for Youth for 2009.

Here's the link:

http://www.booklistonline.com/default.aspx?page=show_product&pid=3800094

And here's what Booklist had to say about the ten books they chose:

"The settings and situations range across time and geography in these stand-out debut novels, all reviewed in Booklist during the past year, but readers will find lots of similarities, too: young characters who face their parents’ failings and unusually strong voices from writers to watch."

Thank you, Booklist!

Meet Eva Mitnick, Senior Librarian of Children's Services department at the Los Angeles Public Library

2009-10-14T12:47:00.000-07:00

I met first Eva through her blog, Eva's Book Addiction: http://evasbookaddiction.blogspot.com/
I'd been reading it for quite some time. She was, after all, a senior librarian at the Central Los Angeles branch, the one with all the beautiful murals of California's history which I wrote about last month.

Then a few weeks ago, while visiting the library again, I got to meet her in person. She still looks very much like her picture from her blog profile where she's sitting in a big chair with a favorite book as a child. We got to talking about things and near the end of our conversation, she mentioned the chair. Or maybe I asked what it was like to work in Susan Patron's old position, I can't exactly remember, but Eva now sits in Susan's old chair as a result of filling the position Susan left when she retired after winning the Newbery medal. As I drove home, I kept thinking about what it would be like to sit in a chair that was once sat in by Susan Patron.

I emailed my fabulous editor, Molly O'Neill, about this, and she wrote back to say that someone (naming no names) (she actually did not say who so I'm not leaving it out on purpose) at HarperCollins now sits at Ursula Nordstroms' old desk. There's got to be some kind of luck or magic that comes from that, some transfer of knowledge or at least a burst of confidence in knowing that you are working where someone great once did.

So I asked Eva if she'd let me interview her, and if she would also take a photo of that famous chair. And she agreed! Here's what we talked about.

Kathryn Fitzmaurice: Thank you very much for letting me interview you, Eva. Please tell us how long you have been Senior Librarian of the Children’s Services department at the Los Angeles Public Library.

Eva Mitnick: I’ve been in this position – my dream job! – for just about exactly two years. Before I transferred to Children’s Services, I was the Manager of the Robertson Branch of the Los Angeles Public Library. Before that, I had been a Children’s Librarian in various branches since 1989.

Kathryn Fitzmaurice: What does a typical day look like for you?

Eva Mitnick: There is no such thing as a typical day! One big difference between my current position and any other position I’ve held at LAPL is that I don’t work directly with the public – and therefore my day is not characterized by reference desk shifts and story times. Instead, I get to put my multitasking skills to work by coordinating system-wide children’s programs (like the Summer Reading Club and Grandparents and Books), working with and training children’s librarians, creating book lists, evaluating books, and much more. For more on what we do in Children’s Services, please see this article I wrote for the Friends of Children and Literature (FOCAL) newsletter – page 5!

Kathryn Fitzmaurice: Where is your favorite place to go in the library?

Eva Mitnick: My absolute favorite place in Central Library, besides the 2nd floor domed atrium outside the children's literature department, is the 3rd floor glassed-in "bridge" at the back of the literature and fiction department, where you can sit in a chair and look back over the entire new wing of the library, with its 7 levels, endless escalators, and amazing art.

Kathryn Fitzmaurice: I understand you have a very special chair that you sit in when you are at your desk. Will you please tell us about that?

Eva Mitnick: This chair I’m sitting on – and this desk I’m sitting at – once belonged to Susan Patron, author of Newbery-winning The Higher Power of Lucky! Susan worked in this very office for many years as Collection Development Manager, and when she retired after winning the Newbery, I was eventually able to interview for the vacant position. Wow! See, I wasn’t exaggerating when I said this was my dream job. Because we have less staff and have streamlined and shifted our duties, my position isn’t exactly the same as the one Susan had. Nevertheless, working in her office and sitting on her chair adds a definite sparkle to my work day!

Kathryn Fitzmaurice: What is your favorite genre to read?

Eva Mitnick: Fantasy, fantasy, fantasy – for any age! I’ll read almost any well-written fiction, actually, from mysteries to historical novels, and for any age. I’m particularly partial to middle-grade novels, as I think I’m stuck somewhere between ages 10 and 12, but I also read plenty of YA and adult novels. Nonfiction – not so much (unless it’s a vegetarian cookbook).

Kathryn Fitzmaurice: I realize this is probably a difficult question for you to answer, with all the wonderful books around you, but do you have a favorite book?

Eva Mitnick: Argh! I’ve always loved the very odd A Mouse and His Child by Russell Hoban. And for adults, I can’t get enough of Buddenbrooks by Thomas Mann.

Kathryn Fitzmaurice: If you could live inside any book for one day, which one would it be and why?

Eva Mitnick: Did you ever watch Gumby when you were little? I used to envy how he could smoosh himself into a book and become part of it. Strangely, when I was a child I didn’t fantasize entering a book (because I could do that anytime I read one) but rather the world of the Peanuts comic strip. I thought I could be happy there… But these days, I think I’d like to be one of the grown-ups in Hard Pan, CA – the setting for Susan Patron’s Lucky books. Those folks are so eccentric and interesting, and they know how to leave a person alone when necessary. It would be paradise for someone with hermit tendencies – like me.

Kathryn Fitzmaurice: Have you ever considered writing a book? If so, what kind of book would it be?

Eva Mitnick: I have a few unpublished (not for lack of trying!) manuscripts at home – a couple middle-grade novels and a YA novel, written back when I was working half-time. They’re all contemporary fiction, with no magic at all. I love fantasy so much that I’m scared to try my hand at it. But the SCBWI conference last August was very inspiring indeed…

Kathryn Fitzmaurice: Is there a book that hasn’t been written that you think should be written? If so, what is it?

Eva Mitnick: Can’t think of one offhand. When I think of it, perhaps I’ll try to write it!

California Readers

2009-10-05T11:50:00.000-07:00

I am honored to learn that The Year the Swallows Came Early has been named on the California Readers Collections list for 2010. The criteria for selection, according to their website, http://www.californiareaders.org/ is that the book:
Must be written by a California author or illustrated by a California artist.
Meet the criteria of excellent literature.
Provide a balanced collection from picture books to history.
Reflect the entire spectrum of curriculum areas in a balanced collection.
Focus on the diversity of California population.
Illuminate the various California geographical areas.
Raise awareness about issues important to California.

Here is the link to the current list of the middle grade selections:

http://www.californiareaders.org/collections/CC-MS-10.pdf

And thank you to Francesca Rusakus, my regional advsisor for the Orange County SCBWI chapter, for telling me she saw the book on the list!

Interview with Susan Vanhecke

2009-09-29T09:44:00.000-07:00

I'm very excited to interview Susan Vanhecke, co-author of ROCK 'N' ROLL SOLDIER: A MEMOIR, (HarperCollins) which has just been released. Here's the quote on it from Graham Nash: "A remarkable story about the transcendent power of music."

My sixteen year old son has been waiting to read this one. He's got the same black and white Fender guitar that's on the front of the book. It's one of seven guitars he owns, most of them bought with his own money. (He's been in a band with the same kids for the past five years. They just played at the chili cookoff, but they do local shows, too, where they sell tickets and put up posters and all that stuff that bands do.)

Here's my conversation with Susan:

Kathryn: Tell us about your book, Rock N Roll Soldier.

Susan: Rock 'N' Roll Soldier is a Vietnam War memoir for young adults that I co-wrote with veteran Dean Ellis Kohler. It's really an amazing story. In 1966, Dean was a year out of high school and had just landed a recording contract with his garage rock band, the Satellites. And then his draft notice arrived.

But even in Vietnam, fending off enemy ambushes and sweeping for snipers as a military policeman, Dean didn't give up his rock star dreams. He improvised some instruments and equipment, taught a few fellow MPs to play, and formed his own touring rock band right there in the combat zone. Ultimately, the band became a lifeline for Dean and the band, as well as the thousands of combat-weary troops they played for in increasingly dangerous terrain.

If you can believe it, Dean's band even recorded a single in the war zone, building a makeshift sound studio on a jungle mountainside. You can listen to the record, plus audio from some of the shows for the soldiers, at http://www.rocknrollsoldieramemoir.com/. Dean's also posted his film footage and photos from Vietnam there, as well. It makes reading the book a multi-media experience and really helps to bring the characters and situations alive.

Kathryn: How long did it take to write?

Susan: I first interviewed Dean nearly ten years ago for a newspaper article I was writing on '60s garage rock bands. When he told me about the band he'd formed in Vietnam, I thought his story would make a great book. So I put together a proposal and sample chapters and landed an agent who shopped it around to publishers of books for grown-ups. The editors' reactions were pretty unanimous – Dean's story was too "boy scout-ish," not enough blood and guts.

I was crushed because I knew it was an incredible story. But I put the proposal away and moved on to other projects. Dean's experience was always in the back of my head, though. When I started writing for children four years ago, I pulled the proposal back out, recast it as a YA, and started pitching it to children's publishers. Several editors were interested and HarperCollins acquired it in a pre-empt. So, really, the book had been in the works for almost a decade!

Kathryn: What was the ONE book you read that made you want to become a writer? How old were you when you read that book?

Susan: James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl. I was probably in 3rd or 4th grade. Just the sheer imagination of it, its humor – it made me realize that you could write stories about anything, even a ginormous piece of airborne fruit peopled with freaky but lovable mutated insects. And so I did write about anything and everything as a kid. Creative writing was my absolute, hands-down favorite subject in school.

Kathryn: How do you write? Do you have a routine?

Susan: I'd love, love, love to have a writing routine, but life just doesn't work out that way as a mom of two young children, wife of an oft-deployed Navy officer, and now owner of an active English Setter puppy. I have to work my writing life around my family life, which can definitely be a challenge. And I'm definitely not one of those pounding-the-keys-into-the-wee-hours authors – I can barely keep my eyes open past 10 p.m.! So I'll typically get a few solid, back-to-back hours of writing in every weekday while the kids are at school. If I'm up against a crazy deadline, the kids go to grandma's or hubby wangles some time off to babysit, if he's not out to sea.

Kathryn: If you could give your book to just one person to read, who would that person be?

Susan: A boy of about 16 who thinks he hates to read. He'll love Dean's story.

Kathryn: What is your most favorite line in your book?

Susan: After Dean returns home from Vietnam, a friend, also just back from the war, stops by. When a truck backfires outside, Dean's friend scrambles for cover under the living room sofa. As the friend stands up, totally embarrassed, Dean writes, "I told him about how when Mom asked me to help her in the yard that morning, I'd checked the flower beds for booby traps." To me, that one line captures just what an indelible impact the war had on these young men. There would be no such thing as normal, everyday life anymore – it would always be colored by what they saw and did in Vietnam.

Kathryn: What are you working on now?

Susan: I'm wrapping up a nonfiction for middle graders called Strike Up The Band: Amazing American Instrument Makers From Ragtime To Rock. It's a fun, photo-filled history of musical instrument companies Zildjian, Steinway, Martin, Conn, Ludwig, Hammond, Fender, and Moog that also touches on American history and various musical genres and artists. It was a blast to research and write; Boyds Mills Press is publishing it in fall, 2010.

Then I need to finish up my historical fiction for middle graders, The Girl In The Box. It's based on a true story of the Underground Railroad I stumbled across while doing some genealogical research. SCBWI kindly gave me a WIP grant for it – I want to do them proud.

Thank you very much, Susan. I wish you the best of luck with your new book.

Los Angeles Children's Library

2009-09-24T19:15:00.000-07:00

When you walk inside the children's library at the Los Angeles Central Public Library, you get a small feeling of what it's like being inside a museum, but without any stuffiness or anyone telling you to be quiet. The California History murals on the walls were painted by Albert Herter. The painted ceiling is absolutely beautiful. And then, of course, there's that wonderful library smell.

Today, though, I discovered something I'd never seen before. Normally, I take the escalators up and down, floor to floor. But today, I was trying to find Eva Mitnick, so I had to get on an elevator and go up to security to call her. Inside the elevator, I gasped. Every wall was completely covered with old card catalogue cards and protected by Plexiglas. It's so creative and libraryish and fitting. The cards are those old yellowed typed up ones with locator numbers on them, (there's probably a technical library term for this number that I don't know about.) I leaned in close to read a few. The floor I was going to came up way too quickly, and I had to step out nearly bumping into someone as I was trying to read just one last one.

Eva told me she's missed her floor because she was reading those cards. I can see how that would happen. She also told me she now sits at Susan Patron's old desk, and in her actual chair even!! Can you imagine??!!

Teen Writing Class

2009-09-15T14:54:00.000-07:00

Throughout the upcoming school year, I'll be teaching a teen writing series through the Rancho Santa Margarita Public Library, in Orange County, California. If you know a teen who has always wanted to write a story, get started on a novel, or just wants to do some writing, please plan to join us! We'll be working on things like plot, pacing, characterization, and creating a unique voice. We'll also learn how to critique each other's work in a constructive manner.

The library is located at 30902 La Promesa, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA.. The class meetings are on October 13, November 10, December 8, 2009, and March 9, and April 13, 2010, from 4:00-5:00pm.

For more information, and to sign up, contact Julie Fitch, Teen Librarian, at 949-458-6098.

SCIBA annual book awards.

2009-08-31T17:03:00.000-07:00

In the Los Angeles Times on Friday, August 27, 2009, the nominations for the annual Southern California Independent Booksellers Association book awards were listed. I'm delighted to learn that The Year the Swallows Came Early was nominated in the category of Children's Novel. Here's the link:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/jacketcopy/2009/08/berkeley-breathed-lisa-see-tc-boyle-nominated-for-so-cal-book-awards.html

My twelve year old son has actually read Hunger, by Michael Grant, which is one of the other nominations. It's a really great book, with an amazing beginning that keeps you reading, and I'm honored to be listed with Michael. His lovely wife, Katherine Applegate, wrote one of my all time favorite middle grade books, Home of the Brave. They have two children that I've met at various writing conferences. I can't help but look at them and think how high their SAT writing scores will probably be someday. I'm a past teacher and I've got a junior in high school, so there's a lot of talk about SAT scores around here lately. With parents like Katherine and Michael, though, they'll probably get close to a perfect score!

Cynsations Interview

2009-08-26T13:30:00.000-07:00

I'm honored to be featured on Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations Blog today as a New Voice in Children's Literature. Here's the link:

http://cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com/2009/08/new-voice-kathryn-fitzmaurice-on-year.html

This year, there seems to be so many absolutely amazing new voices in children's literature. You can find them on the Class of 2k9's website, and the Author's Now debut authors website. Many of us have become friends this year. I often see their books out in stores. I find myself walking over and picking them up to read the back cover and see their author photos.

"You did it," I say. "And here is your beautiful book for everyone to read."

UCI Young Writer's Camp

2009-08-13T12:41:00.001-07:00

I had the pleasure of speaking at the University of California, Irvine's Young Writer's Camp today. I talked about writing, of course, and how to come up with ideas to write about, and where to go to find out about what you want to write about. I told the students my own story about how I came to write The Year the Swallows Came Early.

But every time I visit students, the part they always like best is when I tell them about my dog, Holly. I can't blame them, really. She's an amazing dog. I tell the students about all the tricks she knows (sixteen) and how she goes to agility classes. And even though she's the smallest dog there, sometimes by up to 90 pounds, she still bosses those big German Shepard's and Labs and Goldens around like she's in charge. It's the same way at our house. She's the boss.

I put her in my companion book to Swallows, except I made her a boy dog and changed her name to Herman. She appreciates this, I can tell. There's been quite a bit of paparazzi around here with her having her own page on my website: http://www.kathrynfitzmaurice.com/holly.html

Not to mention all the other dogs in the neighborhood who run after her when we take her on walks. She's sort of become famous around here. Next thing we know, we'll be taking her to audition for those fancy Los Angeles pet star agents!

In the photo above is Barb Odanaka, Alex Uhl, Gail and Tracy, the directors of the camp, and myself

Be sure to read Natasha Maw's blog today!

2009-08-10T16:53:00.000-07:00

Natasha Maw, aka Maw's Books Blog, is featuring a signed giveaway of The Year the Swallows Came Early and a guest post from me today about words of inspiration. To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment on her blog. Here's the address:

http://blog.mawbooks.com/2009/08/10/guest-post-and-giveaway-on-quotes-and-inspiration-by-kathryn-fitzmaurice-author-of-the-year-the-swallows-came-early/

I got to meet Natasha at the LA Times festival of books this year. She's an avid book blogger/reviewer, and just about one of the nicest people around. She supports so many different authors, and I'm delighted to be a guest on her very busy blog today.

Thank you very much, Natasha!

Looking forward to LA SCBWI

2009-08-06T10:01:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite writing conferences starts tomorrow and runs through Monday. The reason I love it so much is that the folks at SCBWI send out these long programs in which we, the attendees, get to pick from the various breakout panels. It's like a great menu. Everything looks good, and so one is forced to number the order of panels according to their preferences.

I'll give you my first choices.

Friday: author Ingrid Law's panel, then in the afternoon, editor, Elizabeth Law's protrack panel.

Saturday: agents Jen Rofe and Jamie Weiss's panel. (Of course I'm picking this one, Jen is my agent), then in the afternoon, editor Jordan Brown's talk about revision...something I always need to know more about.

Sunday: author Linda Sue Park's talk, then the fabulous Golden Kite luncheon. (I'm so excited for Mary Pearson, who's amazing book, The Adoration of Jenna Fox, won an honor this year!) Then in the afternoon, there's Sarah Shealy and Barbara Fisch's talk.

(And I haven't chosen Monday's panels yet, but I have time...)

something small but wonderful

2009-07-22T19:41:00.000-07:00

About two weeks ago, when I was in Naperville, Illinois, at Anderson's Bookshop for a book signing with the class of 2k9, a group of debut authors who all have books coming out this year, something small but wonderful happened. At the end of the signing, as we were cleaning up and saying goodbye, and making plans for dinner, Jan, one of the staff members at Andersons mentioned to me that she was going to be seeing Raul Colon in the coming week.

"The Raul Colon?" I asked.

"Yes," she said.

"The Raul Colon who did the cover illustration for my book?" I asked.

"Yes," she said again, this time smiling.

I immediately took one of my books, opened the cover to the title page, and wrote a note to him thanking him for the beautiful cover he painted, for perfectly capturing the joy in my main character at the end of the story, and for putting in those squiggly lines around the boats that make the sea look as though it is moving.

Then I handed the book to Jan. "Please give this to him." I said. "I want him to know how much I love my cover, and I've never met him or spoken with him, but I want him to know."

She took the book and promised she would. It felt like it was the closest I would come to thanking him without doing so in person.

Today, in the mail I received a package from Jan. Inside was another copy of my book. When I opened it, there was Raul Colon's signature on the title page, and a note to me:

"To Kathryn, Thanks for your beautiful words, it truly inspired the piece that became the cover...Raul Colon."

The book is laying on my desk next to my computer with the page open for now. Through a kind series of hand deliveries and carefully mailed packages, he got my note, and though I didn't get to thank him in person, it feels close enough.

A first time author's first visit to ALA

2009-07-15T10:13:00.000-07:00

I've just returned from my first trip to ALA as a published author. The weather in Chicago couldn't have been nicer, I got to sit up front with HarperCollins for the Newbery dinner (because, of course, Neil Gaiman won the award), I got an ARC of Kate DiCamillo's new book, The Magician's Elephant, and I met so many wonderful librarians and fellow authors.

Above is a picture of part of The Class of 2k9 at our book signing at Anderson's Bookshop in Naperville. The staff surprised us and brought out recipes from our books to serve to patrons while we were there. For my book, The Year the Swallows Came Early, they made chocolate covered strawberries. (The recipe for these is in the back of my book in case you want to make them.)

Really, the only mishap occurred when Joy Preble (Dreaming Anatasia, Sourcebooks, 2009) and I were driving back to Chicago from Naperville and fled through a toll booth without paying. We gasped when we realized we were in the WRONG lane and are now waiting to receive the ticket in the mail, though it may take them awhile to find us since we were in a rental. I feel like a fugitive hiding from the Illinois Highway patrol.

Anderson's Book Signing in Chicago

2009-07-06T10:54:00.000-07:00

I'm going to Chicago this week to attend the summer ALA conference. It will be my first time visiting as a published author and I couldn't be more excited. On Friday, July 10, from 3:00-5:00pm, I'll be at Anderson's Bookshop in Naperville with seven of my fellow Class of 2k9 members (JT Dutton, Fran Slayton, Joy Preble, Susan Fine, Ellen Jensen Abbott, Lisa Greenwald, and Bev Patt) for a signing. We're doing a speed dating theme where readers will talk to us for a few minutes and then move on to the next table.

We figure it's the same for books as it is for people. Like when you pick up a book and read the back cover, you can usually tell right away if you want to read the whole book. Sometimes it takes opening the book up and skimming the first page. This is sort of like how it is on a date. Sometimes it takes hanging around awhile to see if you want to learn more, but between the flap copy and the first page/first hour on a date, you can usually get a pretty good idea if the book/person is a good fit for you. And if you're still not sure, you can always take home a postcard/get their phone number, and think about going back later to buy the book/call the person.

Here's the link:

http://www.andersonsbookshop.com/events.php

Please come see us if you're in the area.

manuscript and synopsis critique

2009-06-29T11:57:00.000-07:00

My friend and fellow writer, Cynthea Lui, is working to raise money for a Title I school she's identified that needs books and supplies. My own twelve year son attends a Title I public school, so I'm aware of the many needs a school like this has. To help her, I've donated one five page manuscript critique and one ten page manuscript and synopsis critique. Here's the link to bid on these items if you're interested:

http://tr.im/KFitzmaurice

I've belonged to an amazing critique group for five years now. They're so amazing, I thanked them in my acknowledgments. They taught me the Oreo cookie method of critiquing. It's when you start with something you like about someone's writing, then tell them how it can be improved, (in your opinion), then finish with another batch of positive comments.

Actually, to give proper credit, I think it was writing instructor Louella Nelson at UCI who originally taught us the Oreo cookie method. She said it's even better if you give away a bag of Oreos with the manuscript.

Untitled Novel

2009-06-20T15:10:00.001-07:00

I do my best thinking in the morning. From 3am on, I'm able to work out my character's problems, suddenly discover what's missing in a chapter, and sometimes even think up entire conversations I previously didn't know I needed. I keep a notebook next to my bed in a drawer just so I can write them down. I've always been like this. I'm not much of a sleeper. I wish I were, but I'm not.

This last week I finished my second draft on a companion book to The Year the Swallows Came Early. I still can't, however, think up a title for the book. But I know it will come to me early one morning. It will tiptoe in like magic. And I will suddenly recognize it, much like a person who recognizes a friend as they walk through a crowded room toward them. I'll quickly turn on the light to write it down and sigh. Partly because it will finally be done, meaning, it's finally done, and partly because it will finally be done, meaning, I'll miss the characters.

Take the Dare

2009-06-11T09:02:00.000-07:00

Today marks the release of fellow writer and friend Cynthea Lui's Paris Pan Takes the Dare. To celebrate the release, Cynthea is generously donating money from the sales of her new book to Tulakes Elementary School, a title one school in Oklahoma City.

I decided to support Cynthea because my own son attends a title one school. I know personally the needs that schools like these have.

Here is the link to her press release. You can bid on items such as books, free author visits, manuscript critics, etc., here.

http://www.cynthealiu.com/showyoucare/a-letter-from-tulakes-elementary/

I've donated two signed copies of my own book, The Year the Swallows Came Early, and a free author visit via Skype.

I hope you'll help us in this campaign to raise money.

Friends of Albert Borris

2009-06-04T12:58:00.000-07:00

Albert Borris is a fellow member/author of The Class of 2k9. His book, Crash Into Me, is due out this summer. He suffered a massive stroke last December. He is making progress every day, but there is a way we can help. A fundraising event to benefit Albert has been scheduled for the end of June. The following is from a flyer posted by Albert's family:

"On Sunday June 28th from 1PM to 5PM at the International Sports, Skating and Fun Centre, Mt Laurel, New Jersey, family and friends will gather to assist debut author Albert Borris. Tickets are $10 students/$25 adults. There will be Family Fun: Skating, arcade games, and more...50/50 raffle, Prize Raffle, Teen Book Sale, and an Opportunity to buy signed copies of Albert’s first novel CRASH INTO ME.Albert Borris has been the Student Assistance Counselor at Moorestown High School for over 20 years. Last December Albert suffered a massive stoke leaving his speech severely damaged. This summer, Albert has the opportunity to attend an intense program in speech therapy at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, ranked #1 in rehab facilities in US News and World Report. He has made a difference with countless kids in our community. June 28th we invite you to come and make a difference in his life. Please help us give Albert back his voice in the world."

Here's what Kirkus said about Albert's novel CRASH INTO ME: "This is no ordinary road trip. After four high-school students—reticent narrator Owen, perpetual liar Audrey, Korean-American lesbian Jin-Ae and socially inept, alcoholic Frank—meet online, they head west on a celebrity-suicide road trip. Their last planned stop is Death Valley, where they will carry out a suicide pact. During their intense two weeks together, the teens bond emotionally and physically, as they make self-discoveries, explore their own reasons for committing suicide and feel validated for the first time. Flashbacks to the students' online chats show how far they've traveled—in miles and in changed perceptions. As they approach their final destination, they must decide if their trip has come to a conclusion—or if their lives are just beginning. This gripping debut novel gives a spot-on portrayal of depressed and suicidal teens with realistic voices. Fans of Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why (2007) will find this page-turner a hopeful alternative."

If you are unable to attend the June 28th fundraiser but would still like to help, donations can be made to Friends of Albert Borris c/o TD Bank 22 W. Main St. Moorestown, NJ 08057

fourteen waded up one dollar bills

2009-06-01T10:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, five author friends and I met at the lovely Laguna Beach Books bookstore for a joint young adult and middle grade book signing. We had a fantastic time talking with readers. I met a librarian from Corona del Mar who was wonderful. My sister came from Las Vegas to buy even more copies of my book.

But there was one thing that really stood out. My sixteen year old son had a water polo tournament all weekend, which was located almost an hour north from us. I knew his games would prevent him from attending the signing, so I wished him luck in the morning and told him I'd see him late that afternoon.

Near the end of the signing, just as we were about to clean up, he rushed into the store (he's now driving) with a wad of crumpled up one dollar bills in his hand. He was wearing his water polo sweats, his hair was still wet in places. He smelled like chlorine.

"Mom," he said. "Am I too late to buy a book from you? Can you still sign one for me?"

He opened his hand. There were fourteen dollars there, not quite enough to buy the book.

"I don't have enough, do I?" he asked.

I quickly found my purse and gave him my credit card. He walked to the cashier with the book. When he came back, he handed it to me. "I left the last game early to get here, " he told me. "Will you write something good?"

So I did. And then I wiped the tear from my eye.

News about Brenda Bowen

2009-05-29T07:15:00.000-07:00

Here's a link to yesterday's Publisher's Weekly article, in case you haven't seen it yet. Brenda Bowen is joining the Greenburger Agency as a literary agent. She'll start next month. Last year at this time, she was my editor at the Bowen Press, An Imprint of HarperCollins. I have three thoughts that immediately come to mind: 1) I'm thrilled for her, 2) I'm thankful I got to work with her, even for such a short time, and 3) I know she'll be an amazing agent.

http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6660730.html?nid=2788

Congratulations, Brenda!

Laguna Beach Books Author Event

2009-05-21T12:47:00.000-07:00

There's probably no place more charming than Laguna Beach, California. It smells like seaweed and salt most mornings. The coves and beaches are stunning. The main beach lifeguard tower is like a landmark to us, practically everyone who comes to visit must get their photo taken in front of it. And then there's bird rock, where the seagulls have taken over.

On Sunday, May 31, from 1:00-2:30pm, six Middle Grade and Young Adult authors will be at Laguna Beach Books for an author event. We're all local; Marlene Perez, Mary Pearson, Alyson Noel, Deborah Lytton, Debbie Garfinkle, and of course, me. Alyson is a NY Times Bestseller, Mary recently sold her book's movie rights. Someone's bringing cupcakes. I can't wait for this day just I can get a signed book from each of them. If you're not busy, I hope you'll stop by and see us. The bookstore has an ocean view!

The Mini Page, May 17, 2009 issue

2009-05-17T17:03:00.000-07:00

A friend called me this morning to say she'd seen this week's Sunday issue of The Mini Page, and that The Year the Swallows Came Early was listed in it as "Hopeful Stories for Summer". The headline reads, "The Power of Hope, Sharing Victories Through Books." The introduction before the books reads, "Has your family ever gone through hard times? Everybody does once in a while. Hope that things will get better helps many people get through difficult times. Hope also helps people achieve great things. To celebrate Children's Book Week, May 11-17, The Mini Page reviews some books about the power of hope."

As a past teacher, I know The Mini Page. It's kind of like a Weekly Reader, but better. It's published by Universal Press Syndicate and goes out to approximately 500 newspapers each week.

The Newspaper in Education/Especially for Teachers section posts follow up activities for each issue of The Mini Page. Here are this week's activities:

http://www.nieworld.com/teachers/minipage/2009/200920.htm

And here is the Wikipedia page for The Mini Page: (in case you are new to it)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mini_Page

I noticed several other HarperCollins books/authors listed, Terry Pratchett's Nation, K.A. Nuzam's The Leanin' Dog, Katherine Hannigan's Ida B., etc. To have my book alongside these others (on the back page upper right hand corner) is an honor, and I want to thank Wendy Lukehart, coordinator of Children's and Young Adult Collections at the Washington DC Public Library, who assisted The Mini Page for including it.

Marya's here with us again today

2009-05-15T08:47:00.000-07:00

It's the fifteenth. So Marya's back again. She posts each month on this day telling us what it's like for her as a writer. Here's her post:

It has been a crazy month since I last wrote to you. I have now decided that it is not enough to write stories for a website, and I am working on some stories that I hope I can find a home for in a publishing house somewhere. This plan scares me silly because you never know what is going to happen. Will I find an agent or a publisher; will my dream of being published come true? Unlike writing reviews and writing stories for the website, writing stories that may never see the light of day is risky.
I haven’t been able to write much of my own material for the last week or so because I have been doing so much work for the stories website. For once, I wish I were one of those people who can burn the midnight oil and write into the wee hours. Alas, I need my sleep and have to make do with squeezing as many hours out of the day as I can.

Thank you, Marya! Looking forward to hearing from you again next month!

Sacramento Book Review

2009-05-13T08:56:00.001-07:00

Here it is, the review in this month's Sacramento Book Review. I'm delighted with what Susan L. Roberts, the reviewer, wrote. Especially her last paragraph. To read other reviews of recently released books for children, go here:

http://www.sacramentobookreview.com/docs/2009/SBR-May09.pdf

Sacramento Book Review, May 11, 2009
The Year the Swallows
Came Early
By Kathryn Fitzmaurice
The Bowen Press,
HarperCollins Publishers,
$16.99, 276 pages
The Year the Swallows Came Early is
about a girl who learns to accept the imperfect
people in her life. Set in small-town San
Juan Capistrano, California, where swallows
return each year to nest, Eleanor
“Groovy” Robinson witnesses her father’s
arrest, and her world begins crumbling
around her. Shocked and sure it’s a mistake,
she runs to her mother, who abruptly leaves
work to “take care of her headache.” Left
alone, she encounters Frankie, whose mother
left him two years ago, old Tom, a homeless
man, and young Marisol Cruz, a passionate
and promising artist. Following a
believable path, each provides Groovy insights
worth contemplating. In the wake of
her father’s rubble, Groovy learns he betrayed
her and ripped away any chance at
her life-long dream. Angry, she cuts off all
communication with
him and drops the
nickname he had given
her. She insists everyone
call her Eleanor.
On the top story,
Eleanor is pushed
and pulled through
her father’s arrest
and betrayal, dreams,
chocolate-covered strawberries, sidewalk
art masterpieces, boat rides in storms and
earthquakes. Through her equally compelling
under-story, we watch Eleanor learn
that the unforgivable can be forgiven. Fresh
and thought-provoking metaphors sprinkle
a flavorful depth to scenes and characters.
This novel is perfect for aspiring chefs.
Eleanor’s dream is to become a chef. She
keeps a journal of her favorite recipes and
creates perfect menus for every possible
situation. At another’s suggestion she creates
her own recipe for chocolate-covered
strawberries and they sell out regularly in a
local café.
Kathryn Fitzmaurice’s first novel is a
beauty. My only disappointment is that the
author has no second book to read!
Reviewed by Susan L. Roberts

Reader Tuesday

2009-05-12T09:27:00.000-07:00

Today's swallow story comes from Ryan, a fourth grader. It's short and simple, which matched my mood today exactly. So I was happy to find it on the stack to be posted next! Thank you, Ryan!

"I think the swallows come at the same time every year because some guy put a bracelet on the scout's leg and it beeps when they have to leave. "

Embracing the Child, Author of the Month

2009-05-07T15:24:00.000-07:00

I'm honored to be the May Author of the Month at Embracing the Child. I've read their publication for some time, being a past teacher.

For those of you new to ETC, here's how they describe themselves on their website:

Embracing the Child, a nonprofit organization, develops much-needed libraries for organizations serving the most vulnerable kids at front-line facilities like juvenile detention centers, emergency shelters, after-school care and summer daycamp programs in inner-city or poverty-pocket communities. ETC provides literally thousands of new fiction and non-fiction books for circulation from library shelves that once were non-existent, empty or idle.

And here's the link to the front page of the May issue. You'll find my interview at the bottom of the page.

http://www.embracingthechild.org/

Reader Tuesday

2009-05-05T09:02:00.000-07:00

This swallow story is from a bird named Flapper:

Dear Log,

(Day one of flight to California) I've ignored this because, well...I've sort of been WORKING MY FEATHERS OFF!! I am so dang tired from flapping over and over again! (sorry for yelling, I'm just so grump!) Frustrated, Flapper.

Dear Log,

(Day 10) You don't know what I look like so I'm going to draw you a picture of me. OK, you see me. Flapper

Dear Log,

(Day 24) I couldn't write to you because there was a huge storm. With boredness, Flapper

Dear Log,

(Day 30) WE MADE IT!! There are humans everywhere! yay! Happy Now, Flapper

The End.

California Readers May Newsletter

2009-04-30T10:09:00.000-07:00

I'm delighted to learn that The Year the Swallows Came Early has been reviewed and is on the front page of the May issue of the California Readers Online Newsletter. In addition, the book is under consideration to be added to the California Collection. Even to be considered is an honor, and I'm most thankful to the committee for the time they spend reading the book.

To see the review, and the rest of the May issue, click here:

http://www.californiareaders.org/newsletters/2009-May.pdf

autograph

2009-04-26T09:33:00.000-07:00

My twelve year old was on a mission yesterday. If he wasn't going to be able to hear Ray Bradbury speak on the afternoon panel at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, then he was going to make sure he got his autograph. He stood in line for an hour and and half waiting. He was number 64, meaning; 63 people were in front of him also waiting for Mr. Bradbury's autograph. My son was the only kid there. We were told Mr. Bradbury would not be able to personalize anything, and to hurry through when we got to the signing table so the very long line of people could also have their chance.

When it was finally my son's turn, he was so nervous. Mr. Bradbury (now 89 years old) signed my son's new book, Something Wicked This Way Comes, then went to wave goodbye to him. My son thought Mr. Bradbury was holding up his hand to "high-five" him, so my son reached across and slapped his hand. For a moment, everyone was quiet, wondering if this was not the right thing to do; to touch Mr. Bradbury, to take an extra amount of personal time at the signing table. My son stepped back. I could tell he was sorry. But then, suddenly, Mr. Bradbury laughed. It was one of those loud happy laughs. I heard the gentleman next to him in the booth, say, "Oh, he really likes kids. Look at that."

Of course, the day was successful.

It didn't matter that I didn't have a line of over 64 people waiting for a signed copy of my own book, The Year the Swallows Came Early. My son had gotten what he wanted.

Los Angeles Times Festival of Books

2009-04-24T15:13:00.000-07:00

The festival of books starts tomorrow. It will be the first one I've attended as a published author. I'm delighted to have been asked to sign books, both at 11:30am, at the Book Soup booth, and at 3:00pm, at Mrs. Nelson's booth.

I've been trying all week to buy tickets to hear Ray Bradbury speak. He is my twelve year old's favorite author. Naturally, they're all sold out, and have been since Monday morning. It looked like they went on sale Sunday afternoon. If I'd known they were going to go that fast, I would've been ready to buy them Sunday. Now we'll have to wait in the standby line. :)

last three chapters of Amelia's story

2009-04-23T15:20:00.000-07:00

To read the first chapters of this Reader Tuesday story, please see the previous post. Here are the last three:

Chapter Three

Flight

Whoosh! The wind went by. It ruffled Morris' feathers. Boy, it was a sight to see, a sky full of birds. Especially cliff swallows like me, Morris told himself.

It had been weeks since they had left Goya, Argentina, and everyone needed rest.

Chapter Four

Lost and Found

They landed and wandered for awhile. Just as he was about to settle into his new nest, Morris heard a coo. Someone was in trouble. He waddled toward the sound, but it seemed to come from everywhere.

"Kathalee! What are you doing in there?" Morris scolded.

"Pretending to be a human," she replied.

Chapter Five

Imitating

So the flock thought that sounded like fun. The people were all in costumes celebrating their return at the mission. The swallows were behind a person they chose imitating them. Some were disco dancing and some were eating food. We made it to California, thought Morris. This is the best party to come back to.

The End.

Reader Tuesday

2009-04-21T13:17:00.000-07:00

This swallow story is from Amelia, a fourth grader. It has several chapters to it, and runs three pages long, so I'll post the first two chapters today, then add more tomorrow. It's really quite amazingly creative!

Prologue:

Never in the name of Pittsburgh has a swallow been a human. Well, that's about to change!

Chapter One

A Cold Winter Day

It was a cold November winter day, snow was lightly sprinkling. Morris was pacing back and forth. Being the leader of the flock wasn't easy. It was fifty days before they left for their 7,500 mile trip. Goya was cold already and he didn't think they would make it. The cliff swallows were tiny and had to fly all the way to San Juan Capistrano, California. It was unimaginable, plus most would have frost bite. The wind howled. He knew he had no choice.

Chapter Two

The Meeting

"Coo coo! Cooooooooo! Coo cooooo!" Morris practically shouted above the wind. "We are gathered here today to vote whether or not we should leave Goya early. Everyone who wants to stay, coo." None of the swallows cooed.

"We leave tonight then!" Morris declared. Everyone cheered.

Meet Kay Cassidy!

2009-04-16T09:51:00.000-07:00

Kay Cassidy is a writer with a new series coming out soon. She just started the Great Scavenger Hunt Contest. I recently got the opportunity to interview her. Here is our conversation:

Kathryn Fitzmazurice: I see you have a book coming out next year. Can you tell us a bit about it? How long did it take you to write?

Kay Cassidy: My debut novel, The Cinderella Society, is the first book in a new YA series. The series takes readers behind the veil of a secret society of extraordinary girls where ultimate life makeovers are the main attraction. Lifelong outsider Jess Parker thinks life on the inside is her ultimate fantasy until she discovers the real force behind her exclusive society. It’s a battle of good vs. evil played out on the high school battlefield, and the Cindys in power need Jess on special assignment. When the mission threatens to destroy her dream life come true, Jess is forced to choose between living a fairy tale and honoring the Sisterhood… and herself. The Cinderella Society will be an April 2010 release from Egmont USA with book two in the series to follow in Spring 2011.

From idea conception to final edits, The Cinderella Society took me about four years to complete. But that was primarily because it started out as a much, much smaller story than what it is today. Each time I sat down to write it, it got bigger... and bigger... and bigger in scope. Until it was too big and unwieldy! So I scrapped everything, keeping only the best big parts, and replotted the entire story from scene 1. I plot every scene in advance (to avoid writing fluffy scenes that have no point ), but once plotting is done I write first drafts very quickly. I wrote the entire book in 25 days. A couple of months beyond that to edit it, and off the book went to agents.

Kathryn Fitzmaurice: Are you working on a new book? If so, what is it about?

Kay Cassidy: Right now, I'm working on book 2 in the Cinderella Society series for release in Spring 2011. I can't say too much about it because it would include spoilers for book 1. :-) But suffice to say, the battle of the Cindys vs. the Wickeds has only begun. And Jess is about to put everything on the line to fight the battle ahead of her.

Kathryn Fitzmaurice: If you could pick one book to live inside, which one would it be and why?

Oh wow, what a cool question! Definitely Harry Potter, but I'm not sure which book of the series. That world is so fascinating. It would take a lifetime (and then some!) to uncover all the secrets inside the walls of Hogwarts.

Kay Cassidy: How did you come up with the idea for The Great Scavenger Hunt Contest?

As a YA author and proud owner of a well-worn library card, I wanted to give something back to all the librarians whose book recommendations helped me grow as a writer and fed my imagination over the years. With the economy in turmoil, funding for public libraries is taking a major hit. School libraries are struggling as well. So I set out to create a totally free program that teen and youth librarians could use to keep kids excited about reading.

Plus, I’m a huge fan of trivia, scavenger hunts, mysteries... so The Great Scavenger Hunt Contest was a natural fit. I would’ve been all over it when I was younger. :-) Registration for libraries opened about a week ago, and we already have dozens of libraries from nine different states participating. I can't wait to see contest entries from readers (we call them hunters) start rolling in from librarians!

** Now, let me turn the tables on you for a minute. :-) First of all, thank you so much for participating in The Great Scavenger Hunt Contest. If it weren’t for authors like you, The Hunt wouldn’t exist. Authors are incredibly busy people, so I owe a debt of gratitude to each of the authors (like you!) who graciously volunteered their time to create a scavenger hunt.

What made you take time out of your busy schedule to participate in The Hunt?

I wanted to participate in the Great Scavenger Hunt Contest because I used to be a teacher, and we did things like this with books we read. The only difference was that I asked my students to come up with the questions and answers so they really got to know the book well. I think literary scavenger hunts are a great way to promote comprehension and excitement, as long as the reader is reading the book to "read the book", and not just to find the answers or complete an assignment. In addition, I think the scavenger hunt is a great tool for librarians and teachers to use if they don't have time to create their own questions about a book.

welcome back, Marya!

2009-04-14T14:37:00.000-07:00

Marya Jansen-Gruber is my guest blogger today. You may remember that every fifteenth of the month, she'll post her thoughts and experiences of what it's like for her to be a children's writer. To visit her blog, please go to: http://lookingglassreview.blogspot.com/

(Thank you, Marya!)

When I last wrote to you, I was just beginning to get used to my new job as a book writer. Up until just a few weeks ago, I was a reviewer and blogger. Now I am a writer as well, and this new writing work has added a dimension to my life that is both challenging and interesting.

For one thing, I have had to learn how to manage my time better. I cannot write stories and publish an online book review magazine if I footle away my time. It is very easy to footle if you are not careful.

To be able to have time to write, I have had to cut back on the number of books I review. This has been hard because I want to review them all. Now I have to be more selective; I have had numerous sessions on my office floor looking through piles of books, moving books from one pile to another, and reluctantly setting aside a few titles that I just don’t have the time for. At these times, I wish I had a clone. Then I would be able to write as much as I want and review as much as I want. Sigh.

Another thing that I have noticed is that I look for story ideas and character insights all over the place. Something happens to my daughter or one of her friends and I often think “Aha, now that could make a good story.” I also write in my head more than ever before. I plot out scenes and have ‘conversations’ with characters. I even get up in the middle of the night to make notes. It is very all consuming.

Next time: Will my stories be online yet?
-Marya

My first "Reader Tuesday Story"

2009-04-07T13:45:00.000-07:00

I have been visting schools lately. As a past elementary school teacher, I look forward to going back to schools and talking to students. It's one of the most enjoyable parts of being an author. Near the end of my talk, I usually start a conversation with students about the real reason the swallows come back each year on March 19 to southern California. Quite simply, it has to do with instinct and the amount of hours and minutes of sunlight in each 24 hour period.

"But what if we thought of some other reason to explain their behavior?", I ask the students. It could be anything we wanted. And if you send me your stories, I'll post one of them on my blog each Tuesday.

So here is the first one. It's from a fifth grader named Max.

The reason the swallows return to San Juan Capistrano each year on March 19 is that the head swallow gets a text message on his cell phone from the lady at the mission who sits in the front booth and sells the tickets. She tells them, "hurry and gather up the flock. It's time to get going. And no dilly-dallying around on the way, either. You need to arrive by March 19!"

I think it's brilliant. Thank you, Max.

joining the poetry Friday club

2009-03-27T10:19:00.000-07:00

I have known about the many writers/bloggers who post a poem each Friday. Even my incredible editor, Molly O'Neill, does this. Until now, I've avoided participating, wondering that if I start, do I have to post a poem every Friday? Or can I just post them sporadically? Are there rules to poetry Friday? Who started poetry Friday? And what is this person posting today?

My friend and fellow writer, Jill Corcoran, is a poet. I came across a recent post of her's with this poem. She said I could post it here. I chose this as my first poem to post for three reasons:

1. I used to be a teacher, and it felt familiar.
2. I have two sons, and I've heard them say this to me.
3. It reminded me about voice, and how I must remember to remove myself from my main character's thoughts.

Here it is:

If time
Outs are my time
To think things out, why then
Do you come in and tell me what
To think?

Jill Corcoran 2009

In my opinion, this is the perfect first choice to join the poetry Friday club. I hope you'll agree.

Sarah Bean, Teen Librarian

2009-03-24T09:18:00.000-07:00

Sarah Bean has been a teen librarian for a little over a year. Before that, she was a children's librarian. In addition, she reads and writes reviews for TeensReadToo. And if that's not enough to keep her busy, she's getting married in May! I got to interview her recently. Here's what we talked about:

Me: How long have you been reviewing books?

Sarah Bean: I’ve been reviewing books for a year now, both through my blog and on TeensReadToo, but I’ve always been willing to give my opinion and talk about books!

Me: How did you get started with TeensReadToo? How are books assigned to you?

Sarah Bean: Since I work as a teen librarian, I had been using TeensReadToo as a resource for reading reviews and finding out when books were released. I decided to e-mail them about becoming a reviewer and sent in a sample review and was accepted. There is a list that the reviewers can choose books from, which is how I get most of the books to review, but I also get books through work or will read a book that doesn’t have a review posted, so I can submit those as well.

Me: How many books do you typically review in one month?

Sarah Bean: It really depends on what that month holds! For TeensReadToo I typically do three-four reviews, depending on what’s on my review list at the time and if any other reviews are needed. As for my book blog, I try and post around three-four books reviews a week, which means I really have to keep up on my reading!

Me: How do you receive books? Who sends them to you?

Sarah Bean: I pick a lot of the books I review from my wish list of books to read and I get them at the library. (It helps that I work there and can pick out what books to order!) I also will get advanced copies of books from publishers and authors requesting reviews. It takes time to get your name out there, but once you’ve got a good blog going and have some loyal followers, don’t be shy about promoting yourself to publishers and authors! You might not get every book you want, but at least you’re getting yourself out there.

Me: What do you do if you receive a book that you do not connect to, but you still have to write a review for it? How do you handle this situation?

Sarah Bean: Sometimes it can be hard since I review teens and children’s books, to really think about the audience. I’m not a teen anymore, so I’m not reading it from a teen’s point of view. I always try to think about who the book is written for and who will like it and point those aspects out in my review, so that hopefully, the right reader for that book will find it. I also try to think back about what I liked when I was a teen and what about the book would appeal to my inner-teen self. On the flip side, there are books that I might like as an adult, but teen readers don’t like at all. You have to always think about who out there would like to read it.

Me: What was the first book you ever reviewed?

Sarah Bean: The first review I wrote was for The Wedding Planner’s Daughter by Colleen Murtagh Paratore. The first book that was sent to me for review was School Spirit by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel. I really enjoy both series because there were some of the first books I reviewed, so they have a special place in my heart

Me: How many hours do you spend reading each week?

Sarah Bean: Again, that depends on my week and what’s going on! Right now I don’t read nearly as much as want since I’m going to grad school and planning a wedding, but typically I read about 20-25 hours every week. I always read on my lunch break at work and I try to read a little bit before I go to bed each night. I also listen to audiobooks-in my car and at work-so I’m sure that means I read even more!

Me: If you could live inside one book, which one would it be and why?

Sarah Bean: I have to pick two and I’m sure there are so many more! I wish I could live on Avonlea like Anne in Anne of Green Gables. I loved that series growing up and still enjoy reading it. It’s a series that no matter where you are in life or how old you are, there’s always an Anne book you can read and relate to. Plus, Gilbert is so charming and wonderful and a big book boy crush for me! There’s something about the more simplistic time that always appealed to me too.
I also wish I could go to Hogwarts, because how cool would that school be?? I would love to able to interact with all the Harry Potter characters…well, maybe not Voldemort, and learning some of those magic spells and flying on a broom would be pretty awesome!

hello, Simon Rose!

2009-03-22T12:39:00.000-07:00

Simon Rose. The first thing I think when I hear this name is that he must be famous. Who goes around with a name like Simon Rose and isn't a somebody? As it turns out, Simon Rose is a science fiction author. I had the chance to interview him recently. His latest book, The Doomsday Mask is just out. Here's what we talked about:

Is Simon Rose your real name?

Indeed it is and it has been for more years now than I care to remember. No middle name either.
I have a real fondness for science fiction because my grandmother wrote it. How did you start writing this genre?
One of the best things about writing for kids is that I can write about the kinds of things that fascinated me when I was young. Stories can be very imaginative if they are for children, which makes writing them so much fun. And, of course, in science fiction or fantasy, more or less anything you can imagine is possible, as you craft stories involving ancient mysteries, the unexplained, the paranormal, science fiction, time travel, parallel universes, alternate realities, weird and wonderful characters and a multitude of what if scenarios.

How long have you been blogging? What do you like to blog about?

I stayed away from blogging for a long time, largely because so many of the blogs I did come across were unbelievably dull or about the most trivial aspects of some one's life. I mean, do the creators really think that anyone really cares if they are having their second cup of coffee or that the cat is sick today? When I did finally take the plunge about a year ago, it was really to use the blog as a marketing tool, to announce events, promote my services for writers such as editing, manuscript evaluation, workshops for kids and adults, both in person and online, and so on, since my website, although very detailed and comprehensive, is primarily a static ad on the web. I avoid the personal musings that you see on some blogs and tend to post news about me and the books, extracts from interviews, articles about writing for children or science fiction, pieces about time travel and the need for historical research, advice about editing and revision, that kind of thing. I also try and post something every three days or so, so that the blog is active and picked up elsewhere on the Internet.

I see it usually takes you about 6-8 months to write a book, but how long did it take you to write your first book?

The first one, The Alchemist's Portrait, took a couple of years and went through a lot of revisions and plot changes during the writing process. The others have taken less time to write, so hopefully I'm improving as I go along.

Tell us how you became involved with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Society.

My daughter has a hearing disability and I try to do what I can to help children in a similar situation, although as I'm sure many people involved in this kind of thing are aware, it never seems like we are doing enough. One of my ongoing projects is to have my books adapted for the deaf and hard of hearing community. I have been working on this with the Canadian Cultural Society of the Deaf, although trying to generate interest is a very frustrating business and obtaining funding is proving to be an enormous challenge

Do you have a favorite of all of your books?

Not really. I like them all and have enjoyed writing them immensely. Of course, I tend to have a fondness for The Alchemist's Portrait, but only because it was my first one and what started the ball rolling. I also always seem to like the most recent one, I think because the story is still so fresh in my mind.

Tell us about your writing routine. Where do you write and during what time of day?

When I still had a regular day job, I did all my writing at night, often until the early hours, and still tend to do a lot of writing, either for novels or for articles and the various other things that I do, at night. However, I have been doing more things creatively in the day in recent years, although I'd hesitate to call it a routine. I have an office space, of sorts, in my home and do all my writing there, but occasionally use the kitchen table if I need to get away from the computer from time to time, usually if I have printed off part of a manuscript to work on with pen and paper or plan out a school workshop or something that requires more space to work.

Do you use the same publisher for all of your books? Do you have an agent?

I have had the same publisher for all six books so far, but was a contributing author to the Complete Guide to Writing Science Fiction: Volume One with a different publisher. I do not have an agent, although I have approached them many times in the past and no one has wanted to represent me, not sure why.

Do you belong to a critique group?

No I don't and have never belonged to a group like that.

If you could live inside one of your books, which one would it be and why?

Well, they all feature very exciting worlds - traveling into the past through magical paintings, visiting medieval England, journeying into a bizarre comic book universe, so it's a tough decision. However, if I had to choose, it would probably be one of the ones about time travel, which has always fascinated me and I am also hooked on history.

Here is Simon's website: http://www.simon-rose.com/

Freaked is out today!

2009-03-17T09:55:00.000-07:00

This week, I’ve been lucky to interview a fellow member of the Class of 2K9—J. T. Dutton. Her book, Freaked is just released today, March 17, 2009. I love the first paragraph in her book. Be sure to read it! I think you’ll agree it’s very well written.

Kathryn Fitzmaurice: Tell us about your book.

J.T. Dutton: Freaked is about fifteen year old Scotty Douglas, a boy who is deeply inspired by the Grateful Dead. He wants to get to a show at Freedom Coliseum so he record a bootleg tape of the song Dark Star, but first he needs to ditch school, figure out how he is going to arrive, acquire a ticket, and deal with the emotional baggage of having a mother who is America’s best known sex self-help expert.

Kathryn Fitzmaurice: How long did it take to write?

J.T. Dutton: I wrote a three page version of Freaked as a voice exercise for an undergraduate class at Columbia University in the early 1990s. People really responded, so I kept expanding the project, first to a short story, then a novella, and finally the first draft of a novel which I finished in 1995. The book sat around in a drawer for ten years clumsy and unfinished. Finally, in 2006, I decided to take six or eight months to revise and send it out.

Kathryn Fitzmaurice: Did you sell your book with the help of an agent? Do you think writers today need an agent?

J.T. Dutton: I definitely needed an agent and I was lucky I found a really good one. I sent a query letter and a few sample pages out to a series of agencies and received rejections from all but one—the Jodie Rhodes Literary Agency in San Diego. I didn’t have much experience self-marketing, but Jodie dug through her thousands of other unsolicited materials, looked past my unprofessional cover letter, the document typos, and uninspiring resume and discovered something that struck her. She specializes in new voices, which suggests to me that her heart is in the words more than the money. I really admire her and am grateful she is out there advocating for writers like me.

After offering me representation, Jodie went to work selling on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. By Saturday she e-mailed me with the news that a couple of editors were interested. By Sunday, I had a pre-emptive offer on the table that included a second book which I am just finishing.

Kathryn Fitzmaurice: What was the ONE book you read that made you want to become a writer? How old were you when you read that book?

J.T. Dutton: Everything I pick up makes me want to become a writer, a thing I’m still working on. I have writer’s envy. If I read something and it contains a lot of suspense or interesting characters, then I have to figure out how that writer made their magic. Put me in the hands of a writer like Tolstoy or Shakespeare, and I’m in deeper than deep. I like watching masters at work. I love to read, which naturally led, somehow, to loving to write and really caring about how the pieces came together.

Kathryn Fitzmaurice: How do you write? Do you have a routine?

J.T. Dutton: When I was in my teens, twenties, and even the first half of my thirties, the word routine could make me break out in hives. But then I got a dog, and after that I married and had kids, and now I am bounded by rituals. I include writing in the mix—it’s part of my life and I enjoy it. I don’t always work regularly, but I do work steadily.

Kathryn Fitzmaurice: If you could give your book to just one person to read, who would that person be?

J.T. Dutton: I like when people laugh. My ideal reader would be someone who thought I was funny and enjoyed even my lamest jokes.

Kathryn Fitzmaurice: What is your most favorite line in your book?

J.T. Dutton: I like the last line: “Though I miss Jerry with all my heart, I was compensated by the loveliness of the world he left behind.” Not only is a tribute to Jerry Garcia, but it is my version of a thank you. Plus, I think how a person comes to feel grateful makes a great story.

Kathryn Fitzmaurice: What is your most favorite Newbery or National Book Award book?

J.T. Dutton: I liked The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. It’s very funny and possibly his best work though he is an amazing short story writer too.

Kathryn Fitzmaurice: What are you working on now?

J. T. Dutton: I’m working on a novel about girl cousins living in small town Iowa. A baby is discovered abandoned in a cornfield and there is a great deal of local suspicion about how it got there. The girls grow closer as the mystery is resolved.

Thank you very much for letting me interview you, Jen. Here is a link so anyone who wants to may purchase your book, and here is a link to J. T. Dutton’s website in case anyone would like to get in touch with you.

http://www.amazon.com/Freaked-J-T-Dutton/dp/0061370797
www.jtdutton.com

Meet Marya, A Day in the Life of a Writer, Post # 1

2009-03-15T10:36:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I met Marya Jansen-Gruber when she interviewed me for her Through the Looking Glass Reviews book blog. She is a dear, and we decided, after several emails back and forth, to do a series of postings about our lives as aspiring writers. We are calling them A Day in the Life of a Writer, and posting them on the 15th of every month. Each 15th, you'll see a journal entry from her on my blog, and my own journal entry on her blog. Here's Mayra's blog:

http://lookingglassreview.blogspot.com/

And here's her first entry, A day in the Life of a Writer, Post One:

Just the other day I was thinking about all the roles I have played in my life so far. I have been a daughter, a schoolgirl, a college student, an employee, a wife, and a sick person. Just before I became a mother - about ten years ago - I decided to try to find some meaningful work that I could do from home. I wanted to be able to be an at-home mother and have a job as well. This was how I ended up reviewing children’s books for other people. After a few months of this, I decided to branch off on my own and create an online children’s book review magazine, Through the Looking Glass Book Review.

A few years later, when my daughter started to go to school, I began to evaluate manuscripts for people who hope to have their children’s story published. Then I began blogging, and I discovered a whole new world, the kidlitosphere.

Recently I added yet another role to my life. Now I am a writer as well. Trying to juggle being a mother, a wife, a reviewer, an evaluator, a blogger, and a writer is quite a challenge. I feel very lucky, and a bit stretched.

These days, because there are not fifty hours in a day, I often find myself wondering if I am crazy to be doing this. How do I review twenty books a week, write three picture book stories, write two toddler stories, and write blog entries? All of this while trying to have a life. Hmmm.

Join me in a month to find out how I am doing in this new adventure.

blog talk radio

2009-03-13T20:06:00.000-07:00

Today I spoke with Suzanne Lieurance, host of Kids Book Bites for Blog Talk Radio about The Year the Swallows Came Early via telephone. She was lovely. Here's the link to our conversation:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/bookbitesforkids/2009/03/13/book-bites-for-kids-promo-day

My sister kept texting me throughout the interview. "I can hear you on the computer loud and clear!", she wrote.

My mother kept calling through on my cell phone. "How does this thing work?", she whispered.

Two completely different generations!

Launch Event at A Whale of a Tale Children's Bookstore

2009-03-09T10:04:00.000-07:00

This Saturday, March 14, at noon I'll be at the beautiful children's bookstore known as A Whale of a Tale, in Irvine, California. You can see a picture of Alex Uhl, the owner, above. She's owned the bookstore for over 20 years, and has been a long time advocate for children's literacy. She's also had a few pretty famous authors inside her store. If you visit her bookstore, you'll see framed original artwork that has been given to her by many different children's illustrators.

The people who work there really know kid's books. They've read most everything, and after just a short conversation with you or your child about what they've read and their interests, you'll be handed a new book they'll most likely love. I know this because Alex worked this magic with my 12-year-old.

Here's the flyer for the event. I hope I'll see you there!

http://www.awhaleofatale.com/documents/storeevents.pdf

And here is a link to the website at A Whale of a Tale Bookstore:

http://www.awhaleofatale.com/index.html

getting to know Meredith Smith

2009-03-07T10:19:00.000-08:00

Meredith Smith, aka Dolce Bellezza, keeps a blog about books and other things. She is a teacher, a reader, and a book reviewer, among other things. I recently interviewed her about how she got started reviewing books. Here's what she had to say:

Kathryn Fitzmaurice: Tell me about how you chose the name of your blog. Is there any secret story to it?

Meredith Smith: When I started this blog I didn't have a specific focus. I still don't, really. I knew I wanted it to reflect the beauty in this world, and I also wanted to reflect my faith in Christ. Paul wrote in the New Testament that women should have the inner beauty of a gentle spirit: "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight." 1 Peter 3:3

All the names with Beauty that I could think of were taken by previous bloggers, so I turned to my Italian heritage and looked up Gentle Beauty in Italian. It turned out to be Dolce Bellezza. Now I'm afraid that sounds rather prideful when I really intended it to be humble.

Kathryn Fitzmaurice: I see you read a lot of classic novels. If you had to pick just one, though, which would be your most favorite classic?

Meredith Smith: I have a passion for Russian literature. Tolstoy is my favorite Russian author, and so I'd have to say my favorite classic would be Anna Karenina. I've read it several times, as a reflection of Russian life in the turn of the century, but also for the lessons Tolstoy has to teach us about love.

Kathryn Fitzmaurice: I know you are an elementary school teacher. Do you read to your class every day? What are you reading to them right now? Do you ever ask them to write reviews of books?

Meredith Smith: I absolutely read to my class every day, usually for at least half an hour. So much reading instruction can be done through a Read Aloud book! We make predictions, inferences about the characters, and examine the author's purpose or point of view. I try to read to them from a variety of genres, but usually we hit fantasy, mystery, and fiction in general. I also read them poetry, and nonfiction, but we're die hard fiction fans in my room. Right now I'm reading them a Jerry Spinelli book called The Library Card. It's the first time I've read a work of his, and he's a little mature for my third graders, but they're good listeners, and they appreciate good literature.

I make it a point to read the novel before the movie if it all possible (last year we read several from the Narnia series so that Disney's film Prince Caspian wouldn't taint the experience). I was going to read them Coraline, as the film was just released, but I think it's too scary for them.

I don't ask them to write reviews of books, or book reports, but they do respond to what they've read in a journal. That way I can see what they're thinking as they process their books. I think it would be a good idea, though, for them to write a review. Adults are always reading reviews for their book suggestions, why shouldn't the kids?

Kathryn Fitzmaurice: How many books do you typically read and review each month?

Meredith Smith: I only read about four or five adult books a month, but I don't review all of them. If they haven't captured my interest sufficiently, I don't want to give them the time on my blog. I read many, many children's books a month especially if they're picture books. There again, only the spectacular ones are the ones I'll review on my blog.

Kathryn Fitzmaurice: What is your favorite genre to read and why?

Meredith Smith: My favorite genre is fiction because I like to escape in the story. I also like very powerful works of literature which have something to teach me about relationships or life lessons.

Kathryn Fitzmaurice: There are many blogs listed on your site. How many of them do you normally follow each day?

Meredith Smith: Oh dear, I'm bad about following blogs each day. A few bloggers and I have developed a friendship through blogging to the point where we send each other birthday cards and Christmas gifts, but for the most part, I make certain I comment on the blogs who have left me a comment each day. And, on the weekend, I try to get through all the rest of them.

Kathryn Fitzmaurice: What was the first book you reviewed? How long ago was this?

Meredith Smith: The first book I reviewed was Broken For You when I began my blog in June of 2006. I think I just posted a particularly meaningful excerpt from that book because I was so intimidated about fully reviewing books. It was hard to believe that anyone would be interested in my opinion. Now I know that bloggers look to one another's opinions on books all the time.

Kathryn Fitzmaurice: Have you ever thought of writing a book? Do you think you might in the future?

Meredith Smith: At one time I thought it would be wonderful to publish a book. I like creative writing, and I've kept a journal since I was five...about 43 years. All of them are in various boxes, and they're hugely meaningful to me; better than a photo album for reviewing one's life. But, I'm not a good enough writer to publish a book. I'm content to read others' books, and write my little blog. So far. ;)

Thanks for asking me these questions, Kathryn. It was fun to think about them and answer them for you. It was also a great privilege to review The Year The Swallows Came Early. I wish you all the best in your future years of writing.

To visit Meredith's blog, go here:

http://www.dolcebellezza.blogspot.com/

the ongoings of a youth librarian/book discusser/reviewer

2009-03-05T15:02:00.000-08:00

Noel DeVries is a youth librarian who keeps an active blog about books. She reviews some, discusses some, and has even started her own novel. Her blog is here:

http://www.noeldevries.blogspot.com/

I interviewed Noel, and asked her how she picks books for her library. Here's what she had to say:

Kathryn Fitzmaurice: Tell us about a typical day in the life of a youth librarian?

Noel DeVries: The first thing I do is boot up my computer, to see what’s happening in the world of children’s literature. Then I discharge books from the overnight drop box, shelve them, help patrons find a book, check out books, help patrons work the computers, process new materials, eat a cookie, lather, rinse, repeat.

Kathryn Fitzmaurice: How do you order books for your library? What is the process?

Noel DeVries: I comb dozens of kidlit blogs every week, reading what young readers have to say, as well as adults and other librarians. If a reviewer I trust gives the book a star review, and I like the look of the book, I buy it. I also try to keep up on Kirkus, bestseller lists, and what the Junior Library Guild is recommending, but these don't influence me as much as the opinions of lay readers. The kidlit blogosphere is a happening place. Get a well-written book into the hands of bloggers and word will spread.

Kathryn Fitzmaurice: Do you plan special events for your library? If so, what type of events do you plan?

Noel DeVries: I’m not planning events at this time, but I’ve done a lot in the past. Themed day-camps (Pirates, Princess, Ancient Egypt, Narnia, etc.), local celebrity readings to celebrate National Library Week, summer reading programs, art camps… we’ve never had an author speak/sign at our library, though. We’re a very small library in a very small town. But I would love it if the opportunity arose someday.

Kathryn Fitzmaurice: What do you do when a young reader comes in and they are wandering the aisles looking for a good book, but they don’t know what to choose?

Noel DeVries: I invade their privacy and ask them what they’ve read lately, or what their favorite books are. Then I suggest a couple of books they might like, based on their answers. But you’d be surprised at the number of kids who say they haven’t read anything lately, and they don’t have any favorite books. Then I have to sell on the fly.

Kathryn Fitzmaurice: How did it come about that you started to blog?

Noel DeVries: I’d been an anti-blogger for a long time, watching as everyone around me was sucked into the vortex, and I kept saying, I’m not going to blog, because it will devour my time (kind of like why I will never get a Facebook. Only I will NEVER get a Facebook.). Finally, I was leaving such long, long comments on other people’s posts, pretty much posts in themselves, that I thought, okay, why not have these thoughts at a central location? I’m typing them anyway. Thus Never Jam Today was born, where I post yesterday and tomorrow, but never today.

Kathryn Fitzmaurice: Have you ever written your own book? Are you planning on doing so in the future?

Noel DeVreis: Being a librarian flowed naturally from my dream of being a writer. What better place to make money than my favorite spot in town, surrounded by beloved books? I’ve been a writer for many years—I just found an address label I typed when I was ten or eleven, and it said: Noel De Vries, Writer of Poems. I’m currently polishing a middle grade fantasy in the vein of Edward Eager and E. Nesbit, called The Jonah Bottle, about three children who find a bottle that performs magic without waiting for orders. Then I have a YA fairytale set in 17th century Holland simmering on the back burner.

Thank you, Noel, for a peek into the ongoings of a youth librarian. Your work in progress sounds amazing!

A look at three book reviewers.

2009-03-03T20:13:00.000-08:00

Book reviews have always been a mystery to me. I've often wondered how online blog reviewers get the books they review. And what happens if they read a book, but don't especially connect to it? Do they write a nice review anyway? Or are they true to their feelings? And how do these reviewers get started?

I recently interviewed three book reviewers who all keep an active blog discussing books. I thought I'd share what they told me.

The first is Becky, from Becky's Book Reviews: http://blbooks.blogspot.com/
She reads quite a lot of books, and has kept her blog for two and a half years. Here's our conversation:

Kathryn Fitzmaurice: When did you start blogging about books and how did this come about?

Becky Laney: I started blogging in August of 2006. I’d wanted to be a reviewer for years, but it wasn’t until I took a course--Library Science course, graduate level--in reviewing that I felt confident enough to get started. Of course blogging is different from professional reviewing, we get to be more personal at times. But I think bloggers have a lot to offer too.

Kathryn Fitzmaurice: I noticed that you like to post before noon most days. Why is this?

Becky Laney: I try to get a new post up by noon, you’re right. This doesn’t always happen though. I think I like to try for that goal so I can divide up my day. It isn’t noon so much as that I want to have my post up by the time I’m ready for lunch. If I focus the first half of the day on writing my own blog posts, I can spend the second half of the day focused on reading other blogs, catching up on emails, and reading books.

Kathryn Fitzmaurice: There are a lot of blogs listed on your site. But how many do you actually follow each day?

Becky Laney: I like blogger’s blogroll feature because it sorts them by most recently published. I read all new blog posts as they come in. It might be forty one day and eighty the next. But they’re rarely all at once! If they make my blogroll, it means I care enough to want to read the posts. So I may be subscribed or following about a hundred (maybe a little) but they don’t all post everyday.

Kathryn Fitzmaurice: Will you please list a few of your favorites?

Becky Laney: I’ll share my top five if that’s okay with you. Melissa at Book Nut (http://melissasbookreviews.blogspot.com//) Amanda at A Patchwork of Books (http://apatchworkofbooks.blogspot.com//) Natasha at Maw Books Blog (http://blog.mawbooks.com//) Jen at Jen Robinson’s Book Page (http://jkrbooks.typepad.com/blog/) and Debi at Nothing Of Importance (http://dastevens.blogspot.com//) I could probably list at least two dozen more that I read almost every day and just love.

Kathryn Fitzmaurice: What genre do you most enjoy reading and reviewing? Why?

Becky Laney: I can honestly say--and I’m not making this up--I love so many different genres. Historical fiction. Science fiction. Fantasy. Realistic fiction. Romance. I could never live on just one genre alone! I know many readers do. They find their one area and settle down happily. But I like variety! I do have moods--one week I might be craving one genre more than another. What I love about reading and reviewing--regardless of genre--is sinking into a good book. Of becoming so absorbed in its pages that I lose track of time. That can’t-put-down feeling is so satisfying!

Kathryn Fitzmaurice: What was the first book you reviewed?

Becky Laney: The first book I reviewed for Becky’s Book Reviews was New Moon by Stephenie Meyer. (http://blbooks.blogspot.com/2006/08/birthday-nightmares_29.html) The first book I reviewed for Amazon was Crooked River by Shelley Pearsall.

Kathryn Fitzmaurice: Have you ever read a book you were asked to review and didn’t connect to it? How do you write a review under these circumstances?

Becky Laney: It’s a difficult position to be in...it really is. It’s a subject that becomes more complicated if the author sent the book to you personally and is emailing you every other week to see if you’ve read it yet. You don’t want to hurt the author’s feelings. You really don’t. But my policy is if I finish it, then I review it. I give novels fifty pages at least--but if I’m not feeling it...then I move on to another book. But if I have finished it, I do go ahead and write a review. If I didn’t like a book, I might mention I didn’t like it. I might mention why it didn’t work...for me. But I always stress that that is my personal reaction to the book. And I emphasize that they [the readers] might like it--or even love it! There are many finely written books that I just didn’t connect with personally. I try to be objective and say who might like the book. I’ll never lie about a book and say I loved it when I didn’t.

Kathryn Fitzmaurice: Typically, how many books do you review each month? How many hours do you spend reading?

Becky Laney: It depends if you count picture books and board books. An average month might see me reading twenty to thirty novels. (One month I read fifty! But that certainly isn’t average!) In addition to novels, I might be reading ten to twenty picture books. I read anywhere from three to six hours a day.

Kathryn Fitzmaurice: How do you receive books to review? Who sends them to you?

Becky Laney: Publishers and authors send me books to review. Sometimes they contact me. And sometimes I contact them. It’s about 50/50 really.

Kathryn Fitzmaurice: What was your very favorite book when growing up?

Becky Laney: I had many favorites! I just loved reading. My two picture book favorites are Umbrella by Taro Yashima (http://blbooks.blogspot.com/2007/05/umbrella.html) and Hand, Hand, Fingers Thumb by Al Perkins (http://blbooks.blogspot.com/2009/02/hand-hand-fingers-thumb.html). I loved Laura Ingalls Wilder, Beverly Cleary, and L.M. Montgomery.
Thanks for interviewing me! I enjoyed answering your questions.

Thank you, Becky, for this information about your blog and how you write book reviews. It is very much appreciated! You can contact Becky here: http://blbooks.blogspot.com/2009/01/contact-me.html

2009-02-27T07:21:00.000-08:00

This week certainly has been exciting. I've enjoyed the blog tour Sally Apokedak set up for me so much, I hardly got anything done! I want to thank her and all of the bloggers who participated and took the time to write reviews, post interviews, and just talk about The Year the Swallows Came Early. I was overwhelmed with their generosity and kindness over the last three days.

And then, this review came in yesterday's Shelf Awareness. The cherry on top.

I am most thankful.

From Shelf Awareness, February 26, 2009:

Children's Book Review: The Year the Swallows Came Early
The Year the Swallows Came Early by Kathryn Fitzmaurice (Bowen/HarperCollins, $16.99, 970061624971/0061624977, 288 pp., ages 9-12, February 2009)One of the greatest reasons for being in the book business is to discover a completely original voice. The other is to put that voice into as many readers' hands as possible. This is one of those voices--that of 11-year-old narrator Eleanor Robinson, named for her great-grandmother, a science-fiction writer, who goes by the nickname Groovy. Everyone should have a Groovy in their circle of friends. As this debut novel begins, Groovy must come to grips with some harsh realities: she may live in "a perfect stucco house, just off the sparkly Pacific," but appearances are deceiving. In fact, her house "was like one of those See's candies with beautiful swirled chocolate on the outside," but "coconut flakes on the inside, all gritty and hard, like undercooked white rice." In the first chapter, Groovy's father gets arrested, right there in front of the Swallow's Shop and Ferry, as the two of them walk into town. Groovy has no idea why he was arrested, though she knows "Daddy seemed to get the kind of bosses who ended up firing him," and she knows her friend Frankie doesn't quite approve of Daddy. But when Groovy tells Mama, and Mama says that she's the one who called the police, Groovy must rethink everything. (That's the second chapter.)Fitzmaurice perfectly captures a small California town where everyone knows everyone else's business. But this gifted first-time author also uses that setting as a foil for the many discoveries Groovy makes. No one is quite what he or she seems to be. What Groovy learns about her father may be a disappointing surprise, but she also learns some unexpected things about the wisdom and strength of her Mama, who owns a quarter of the town's beauty parlor, about classmate Marisol Cruz, who seemed like she "wasn't the nicest girl" but who comes through for Groovy not once but twice, and about even Mr. Tom the homeless man, who gives Groovy a mysterious message that ultimately helps her make sense of her rapidly unraveling world. Eleanor "Groovy" Robinson's passion for cooking, for nourishing others and for constantly seeking to improve her recipes, her home life and her town results in a bounty of alluring sights, smells and tastes. (Chocolate-covered strawberries serve as a crucial plot element--do make sure you've eaten a good meal before reading, or keep snacks handy.) Fitzmaurice possesses a rare gift for keeping the narrative entirely and credibly in the mind of her sixth-grade heroine ("I remembered when Mama and Daddy and I took a week off to drive to the Grand Canyon, so I could see more of the world, and they could get away from it all") as Groovy gains the maturity that comes from surviving seemingly unsustainable pain.--Jennifer M. Brown

a blog tour

2009-02-22T11:38:00.000-08:00

Well it is a good thing I met Sally Apokedak. She has posted so many informational pieces about blog tours for authors. I've learned plenty over the last several months, printing her posts and stuffing them into a big file. Now she's gone ahead and set up one for me. She's pretty much a whiz, and I'm looking forward to this next three day tour. Being a first time author, I'm very excited to be hosted by so many amazing bloggers. (I've read all their blogs; librarians, authors, passionate readers, stay-at-home moms, etc. Some of them have even interviewed me, and we're giving away a few signed copies of the book this week.) Here is Sally's blog, KidzBookBuzz:

http://kidzbookbuzz.com/

And here is a line up of the bloggers she's chosen for me:

A Christian Worldview of Fiction

All About Children’s Books

Looking Glass Reviews

Maw Books Blog

Never Jam Today

Novel Teen

Reading is My Superpower

I feel as though I've been welcomed into a room full of friends. Thank you, Sally!

Blog Interview by Susan VanHecke

2009-02-18T14:05:00.000-08:00

Fellow author Susan VanHecke has graciously posted an interview of me on her blog today. Here it is:

http://www.susanvanhecke.blogspot.com/

We're giving away a signed copy of my book to the person who can answer the question about where the swallows return to each March. (Hint: it's a certain mission in southern California.)

Susan's latest book, Rock and Roll Soldier, A Memoir, is due out September 1, 2009 from HarperCollins. This is exactly the kind of book my 15-year old son, (who plays lead guitar in a band) will want. I see it going on the shelf next to his Led Zeppelin poster. It's funny how the old bands (meaning: the ones I listened to in high school) are now the bands he listens to. The other day he asked me if I'd ever heard of Blue Oyster Colt. When I told him yes, I had, he looked at me and said, "How do you know about them?"

"I saw them in concert once," I told him.

He nodded, left the room.

I watched him leave. Wondered if maybe I'd climbed up half a notch in some kind of unspoken respect he has for me. At fifteen, to him, this probably means more than me having just written a book. :)

Thank you, Peter Larsen!

2009-02-03T13:43:00.000-08:00

Well I feel pretty lucky. An amazing reporter named Peter Larsen has written a very nice story about my grandmother and me, and put it on the front page of the Orange County Register newspaper. Here it is:

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/fitzmaurice-grandmother-says-2297351-year-one

It made my mother cry. My sister bought ten copies. This is not the normal kind of thing that happens around here. We are so thankful to Mr. Larsen for the way he wrote the piece. The way he told the story so perfectly, and how he ended the article with me reading him the inscription my grandmother wrote to me in a book of Emily Dickinson poems.

I only wish my grandmother could have seen it. I sent a copy of it to her agent, who still works in New York City.

The article came out this morning, the same day the book did. Above is a photo of me with all of my grandmother's old manuscripts spread around me. You can see the photographer there, too.

I'm certain tomorrow will never measure up to today.

2009-01-27T10:46:00.000-08:00

My writer friend, Janet Fox, who attends the Vermont College of Fine Arts and is working on her MFA has posted a blog interview of me. Here is the link:

http://kidswriterjfox.blogspot.com/

As a first time author, it's sort of funny/strange/different to see an interview of oneself. Kind of reminds me of those days when I was back in school, and the teacher would make everyone stand up and say a few things about themselves. Well, here I am standing up and waving. hoping you'll be interested in my answers.

Janet's website is here: http://www.janetsfox.com/

She's written a book entitled Faithful, (Puffin/Penguin Group), which is due out in 2010. The sequel, Indigo Spring, is due out 2011.

Thank you, Janet!

Look what came in the mail today!

2009-01-15T14:28:00.000-08:00

Here it is, the most exciting gift I could ever receive. I let the package sit on the table for a few minutes. I knew what was inside. I could see it had been so perfectly wrapped, a bird motif on the wrapping paper, a ribbon to match, a message on the back of the Bowen Press card from my editor, Brenda Bowen, that they were finally here; copies of my very first middle grade novel.

When I finally opened it, that book smell, the shiny cover, the spine that hadn't yet been opened wide enough to make it lay flat. But mostly, the feeling that anything can happen.

Not that I'm counting

2009-01-01T17:00:00.000-08:00

Thirty-two days and seven hours until my first book is released. Not that I'm counting. As a first time author, this is a very exciting event. I just about cried when I received one of my advanced reader's copies of the book in the mail. I can only imagine how I'll react when I actually SEE it in a bookstore. When there it is in the real world for anyone who wants to read it.

I have learned so much this year. First and most importantly, I've learned that when a book happens to fall into to a young reader's hands, it finds that particular reader just where they are in their life at that moment. Meaning, it has the ability to speak to them if they are at a point in their life to be able to relate to the book's story. Not all readers relate to every book. That seems obvious but it's so important because while a book, once it is printed, is permanent; a reader grows and changes. And that same book can be picked up some time later, when the reader has changed, when their lives have gone on, and it's just possible that the book might get a second chance with that reader.

My fabulous editor, Brenda Bowen, once wrote something to me in an email. I have a feeling she wouldn't mind if I shared it. To quote her, "Now, may it (the book) go out into the world and sing."

Almost makes me teary-eyed all over again.

AuthorsNow! is launched!

2008-12-08T18:42:00.000-08:00

My fellow writer friend, Cynthea Liu, has put together a group of authors known as AuthorsNow! Here is the link: http://www.authorsnow.com/ The website was launched this week. Currently, there are 75 members, but it is a growing group of writers.

Her book, Paris Pan Takes the Dare, is available for preorder on Amazon here:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b_0_10?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=paris+pan+takes+the+dare&sprefix=paris+pan+

I love that title. Makes me want to pick it right up and see what the dare is.

Speaking of titles, my own first novel's title changed approximately 18 times while I was writing it. Then, when it finally sold to Brenda Bowen at The Bowen Press, she decided the title should be The Year the Swallows Came Early, which, (I promise this is the truth) was the exact title I used when writing my first draft four years ago.

Obviously, sometimes it is best not to second guess oneself.

My eBay galley

2008-11-20T18:18:00.000-08:00

I won my own galley copy which was for sale on eBay. I was the highest bidder. The book came to me three days after I won it. My step father (who is the author of a few serious technical war defense systems books) says that, if an author becomes famous, some times, an advanced reader copy, or galley copy, can become more valuable than a first edition printing of a book. He is a very smart man, a member of that smart group of people that begins with an M. He knows things only very advanced math students understand. He can complete three Sudoku problems faster than I can come up with one synonym for the word amazing. So, with this in mind, I am putting my newly won eBay galley copy carefully away where the spine of the book will never be broken, where the pages will never be folded, into my very most top bookshelf case.....just in case.

eBay

2008-11-09T17:07:00.000-08:00

Here's something odd that happened today: I came across one of my galley copies for sale on eBay. Because I only have ONE myself, I placed a bid on it. I am, in fact, the only bidder. My bid is $3.50, which was the opening bid. There are 15 more hours for anyone who would like to buy this item to place higher bids. Maybe my mother will outbid me....I'll let you know.

First Galley Review

2008-09-24T16:55:00.001-07:00

Being new to the business of writing and publishing, reviews are still a mystery to me. I am told they come in as the book release date gets close. My release date is February 3, 2009. This date holds the allure and anticipation of Christmas and my birthday all rolled in together.

Here is the first galley review I've found:

http://www.kidliterate.com/?p=39

As I'm sure you can imagine, reading this review is better than opening any gift I could receive.

Wishful Thinking

2008-09-20T18:06:00.000-07:00

If I could give my first book to just one person to read, it would be my grandmother. But she has passed away, and so this would be impossible to do. She lived in New York City, and wrote science fiction novels. She talked of things like character motivation and secret desires, and read poetry written by Rod McKuen. I wish wish wish I could take her lunch today and ask her if she thought my own characters were developed enough, and did she like my title, and was my first paragraph enough of a hook to keep her reading.

I wouldn't be a writer had it not been for her influence, but she died before I started writing so I have missed out on so many conversations I want to have with her now.

I have stacks of books she gave me when I was younger. They are about grammar and technique and using your subconscious to write better. I didn't appreciate them then.

I recently tore out a page of one of these books where she'd written an inscription to me, and I had it framed. It hangs on the wall in my home office today, encouraging me with loving words and hope.

New Website!

2008-08-29T16:55:00.000-07:00

Please take a look at my new website. www.kathrynfitzmaurice.com
And be sure to watch the video about my upcoming novel. You'll find it under the Books page.

Notes from a first time children's author

2008-08-26T18:31:00.000-07:00

When I sat down to write my first children's novel, I had no idea it would take me three years. Three years. Had anyone told me, "This will take three years of your life." I might have walked away. Instead, I went to all the writer's conferences I could find. I joined a critique group. I took writing classes at University of California, Irvine. I read every middle grade novel my librarian handed me. This was the mysterious and elusive recipe given to me from veteran writers that would hopefully lead to happiness and, possibly, if I was very lucky, publication. I remember the first week of my "serious writing", where I had decided to quit my other job (teaching) and fully commit. When it was just me and my computer and my doubts and my dream.

In this blog, I hope to catalogue my road to publication for anyone who is taking the same chance I did three years ago, sitting with their computer, wondering if it can be done, and, finally, joyfully, starting their own serious writing.